Aviation Emissions “Should be Capped at Copenhagen”

Why is the aviation industry been so untouchable when it comes to climate change?

That is the question on many people’s lips as the British government prepares to cut carbon from pretty much every sector but aviation.

The way aviation is treated may have something to do with the intricate links between the industry and the Labour government. The aviation lobby has its tentacles wrapped around the Government’s throat.

For a diagram on the links between Labour and the aviation industry go here.  See for example, that the industry’s PR outfit Flying Matters is chaired by the former Labour trade and energy minister, Brian Wilson. Another pro-aviation group close to the Labour party is Freedom to Fly set up by Stephen Hardwick , the former advisor to ex-Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott.

As flying is sacrosanct <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:”Cambria Math”; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:””; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> other sectors of the economy will not be amused by the latest warnings from the government’s official climate advisers, the Climate Change Committee (CCC).  They will have to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 90% by 2050 just so the aviation sector can continue to grow. Reaching a 90 per cent cut is seen as incredibly challenging and it may actually be easier for businesses to go completely carbon neutral.

A ninety per cent cut is ten per cent higher than the 80% drop on 1990 levels already planned for households and industry in Britain.
But is a departure from previous advice, to try and bring the industry under control, the CCC is arguing that global aviation emissions should be capped at Copenhagen.  It says that, if left unchecked, global aviation could account for 15-20% of all the manmade CO2 produced in 2050. And that has to change.

The CCC’s Chief Executive David Kennedy said: “It is vital that an agreement capping global aviation emissions is part of a Copenhagen deal. We are calling for a cap that would not require people to fly less than today, but would constrain aviation emissions growth going forward.”

Although capping aviation emissions has to happen, the bad news is that the CCC is also promoting the use of flawed “solutions” like biofuels and emission trading as a way of reducing the impact of flying.

The CCC is also saying that the cost of flying has to rise with billion s of dollars raised to compensate developing countries for the impact on flying.

The CCC may also challenge the Government’s decision to approve a third runway at Heathrow something that would be welcomed.

Greenpeace has responded to the CCC’s recommendations by arguing that the government has to scrap the third runway at Heathrow. 

Greenpeace’s change campaigner Vicky Wyatt said: “We already fly more than any other nation on Earth and other industries such as the power sector would have to reduce their emissions even further to create room for the aviation sector to grow even more. The only way to make the deep cuts in aviation emissions that we need is to stop building new runways, like the one at Heathrow.”

The thhird runway atHeathrow will  be the acid test over the UK government’s commitment to tackle climate change.