News article
Player carbon offsetting tool to tee off ahead of new season
Golf’s European Tour group is set to launch a new tool that will allow its players to calculate and offset their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when travelling to and from tournaments.
The tool will allow players to input their event-related flight information, before purchasing verified carbon credits to offset their calculated emissions. Carbon credits used by the tool are linked to Gold Standard accredited projects that support a range of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Launching ahead of the 2025 DP World Tour season in November, the tool follows on from the debut of a similar initiative aimed at DP World Tour ticket-holders that allowed fans to offset their travel and accommodation when attending golf events.
“As golfers we have the opportunity to travel all over the world doing the job we love, but I do have a conscience about the impact that can have on the environment, and that’s why I began taking steps a few years ago to offset my carbon footprint and make my travel neutral,” commented Northern Irish golfer and five-time Race to Dubai champion, Rory McIlroy.
“I think we can all play our part in some way or another, and it’s great to see the DP World Tour launching this new tool to help and encourage members to track and offset their travel.”
The new tool was built in-house by the Tour’s IT department with support from the GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, which recommended travel-related emissions factors and guidance based on a methodology aligned to global frameworks.
European Tour group's emissions tracker for players
A number of players have already taken the initiative to offset their annual travel in recent years, but it is hoped that the tool will encourage more to do so. A target has been set for 90% of players across the DP World Tour, Challenge Tour, Legends Tour and G4D Tour regularly offsetting their tournament travel by 2027.
The new tool forms part of the Tour’s wider Green Drive programme, which is committed to achieving a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and net carbon zero by 2040. In April, the Tour released its first summary Impact Report.
“We are golf’s global Tour, playing 44 tournaments in 24 countries this season, which inevitably creates a large and currently unavoidable travel carbon footprint,” said Maria Grandinetti-Milton, Head of Sustainability at the European Tour.
“We are doubling down on efforts to help mitigate these emissions, and to complement this by offsetting our unavoidable emissions in Gold Standard accredited climate projects, which deliver measurable climate and community benefits linked to important principles of global climate justice.
“Professional athletes are busy people and are laser focused on their performance on the golf course. We have made sure this new tool is easy to use and is supported by an awareness programme that is emphasising its importance to our members and their teams. If we are going to achieve net zero by 2040, then everyone needs to pull together and play their part.”
Image: Courtesy of European Tour group
Rory McIlroy image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images (courtesy of European Tour group)