China's Ctrip.com launches carbon offset program

(Ctrip.com) – Through a newly formed international carbon offset partnership, travelers in China can now take responsible action for the carbon emissions generated from travel and accommodations. By arranging travel plans online at Ctrip.com, China’s leading consolidator of hotel accommodations and airline tickets, consumers now have an option to offset their travel activities with specific renewable energy projects, including the Qingdao Wind Project in China, which are being supported by leading U.S. carbon offset provider, NativeEnergy.

“We’re very excited to enable our customers the ability to offset their carbon footprint,” said CEO Min Fan. “This move is part of our drive to generate awareness for environmental issues, and this partnership is certainly a step in the right direction.”

Ctrip’s newly established partnership with NativeEnergy enhances the company’s growing list of environmental initiatives. Travelers who book through Ctrip also earn points that can be redeemed to help conserve resources, plant trees and decrease carbon emissions. Additionally, Ctrip has partnered with Shanghai Roots & Shoots and GECKO, two international organizations that are helping China meet its environmental challenges.

“As a leader in the international voluntary carbon market, NativeEnergy is very excited to partner with Ctrip,” says Tom Boucher, NativeEnergy President & CEO. “The climate crisis is a critical issue with a global impact. And it is through international collaborations such as this that we can engage more people, work together, and develop effective solutions.”

Ctrip.com International, Ltd. is a leading travel service provider of hotel accommodations, airline tickets and packaged tours in China. Ctrip aggregates information on hotels and flights and enable customers to make informed and cost-effective hotel and flight bookings. Ctrip primarily serves business and leisure travelers in China who do not travel in groups. These travelers form a traditionally underserved yet fast-growing segment of the China travel industry. Since its inception in 1999, Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of the best-known travel brands in China.

NativeEnergy leverages market demand for carbon offsets to bring online new Native American, family farmer and community-owned renewable energy projects. Native Energy offers third-party verified and certified renewable energy credits, and offsets from a variety of operating projects across America and internationally. Through its novel approach of bringing upfront payment to renewable projects for the estimated future carbon offsets, NativeEnergy enables its clients to help directly finance the construction of specific new wind farms and other renewable energy projects.

About Ctrip.com
Ctrip.com International Ltd. is a leading consolidator of hotel accommodations and airline tickets in China. The company aggregates information on hotels and flights, enabling customers to make informed and cost-effective hotel and flight bookings by acting as an agent in nearly all booking transactions. It targets primarily business and leisure travelers in China who do not travel in groups, a traditionally underserved yet fast-growing segment of the China travel industry.

For more information, visit Ctrip.com.