MONTREAL, Dec. 9 /CNW Telbec/ - Aeroplan celebrated the first anniversary
of its Green it Up program on December 5th by matching all Aeroplan Miles
redeemed for carbon offsets by 50 per cent. Aeroplan's Green Coalition of
partners: CIBC, American Express, and Avis also matched all miles redeemed by
members by 50 per cent, which means that each member who redeemed for offsets
that day had three times the impact.
    On December 5th alone, Aeroplan Members from across Canada redeemed a
record-breaking 3,024,424 miles for carbon offset credits in the 24 hour
period. Once matched, the total miles redeemed for offsets added up to:
9,073,272 Aeroplan Miles - equivalent to 3,856.04 tonnes of emissions or the
equivalent of pulling 641 large cars off the road for one year or not using
145,756 propane cylinders for BBQs.
    In an email to Aeroplan Members on December 4th, Rupert Duchesne,
President and CEO, Groupe Aeroplan said, "I believe it's important that we
take responsibility for the effects our business has on the environment. As a
company, we have voluntarily chosen to offset our entire corporate carbon
footprint, including the energy and fuel use from Aeroplan offices and
vehicles along with emissions from corporate air travel."
    "To celebrate the first anniversary of Aeroplan's Green it Up program, we
want to do something special that encourages our members to join us in taking
action to reduce our collective impact on the environment...Despite the
tougher economic times, we still need to do our part to mitigate the effects
of air travel and our daily activities. By using your Aeroplan Miles instead
of cash, we can work together and truly make a difference. Please visit
www.aeroplan.com/offset and take action now."
    In addition to the email message to members, Aeroplan held a 'Go Carbon
Neutral Contest' that offered members a chance to win 50,000 Aeroplan Miles
simply by choosing to offset a flight or their everyday activities and on
December 5th, Aeroplan Green Teams handed out plants to encourage commuters in
the Toronto area to offset that day.
    As a part of the Green it Up program launched in December 2007, Aeroplan
created the Carbon Offset Program to allow members to offset their flight
rewards or their everyday activities using Aeroplan Miles. For 7,500 Miles,
members can offset 3.2 tonnes of greenhouse gases, equivalent to
approximately: one transcontinental 2-way flight; one year of driving a small
car; or six months of home energy use for an average family. Aeroplan matches
all miles redeemed for carbon offset credits by 20 per cent and transfers the
total sum to the Carbon Reduction Fund, an independent, non-profit
organization with the mission of funding only the highest-quality offset
projects. (www.carbonreductionfund.com).
    In addition to the Carbon Offset Program, Aeroplan also offers member's
eco-friendly rewards - a growing reward category that includes green
housewares, games, fashion and travel accessories. Since its inception in June
2007, Aeroplan Members have redeemed 34 million miles for green rewards. As
announced last week, Aeroplan is also the first corporation worldwide to use
the new EnviroCard, the world's first eco-friendly loyalty/gift card that is
compostable and biodegradable. Beginning in 2009, new Aeroplan cards issued
will be EnviroCards instead of plastic cards. For more information about
Aeroplan's Green it Up program, please visit: www.groupeaeroplan.com and click
on "Social Responsibility".

    About Aeroplan

    Aeroplan, Canada's premier loyalty program, is owned by Groupe Aeroplan
Inc., a leading international loyalty management corporation.
    Aeroplan's millions of members earn Aeroplan Miles with its growing
network of over 70 world-class partners, representing more than 150 brands in
the financial, retail, and travel sectors.
    In 2007, almost 2 million rewards were issued to members including more
than 1.5 million round-trip flights on Air Canada and Star Alliance carriers
which offer travel to approximately 975 destinations worldwide. In addition to
flights, members also have access to over 600 exciting specialty, merchandise,
hotel, car rental and experiential rewards.
    For more information about Aeroplan, please visit www.groupeaeroplan.com
or www.aeroplan.com.