| The UK government is aiming for a 60% cut in | | | | of continuing to pollute while creating a market to |
| carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 but we will not be | | | | give an incentive to become more environmentally |
| able to meet our goals on climate change without | | | | efficient. |
| curbing the demand for air travel. At present the | | | | Another suggestion to curb travel is airlines paying |
| experts predicts that only 5.5% of the UK carbon | | | | higher taxes on short haul European flights to reflect |
| emissions is due to air travel and that the | | | | emissions, even if this results in higher fares. The |
| government should concentrate on the other 94.5% | | | | thinking is that taxation through passenger duty |
| as the UK air travel industry generates thousands of | | | | would be easier and quicker than focusing on the |
| jobs and billions of pounds in revenue and these | | | | Emissions Trading Scheme but any proposed increase |
| figures are set to increase as the airline industry | | | | in taxation would need to be enough to slow down |
| wants to increase the number of passenger | | | | the growth and eventually decrease the number of |
| movements in UK airports from about 200m per year | | | | short haul flights. |
| now to about 470m by 2030. If this happens then air | | | | A decrease in flights would be bad for airports and |
| travel will account for over 10 % of carbon emissions | | | | airlines as they would see a decrease in airport |
| in the UK. It will be more than 10% if other polluting | | | | generated profits and could lead to a number of job |
| sectors such as car travel are reduced due to an | | | | losses and competitiveness for the UK economy, but |
| increase in public transport use and cleaner fuels. | | | | other sectors of the UK economy such as domestic |
| What can we do to prevent this growth in flying? | | | | tourism would benefit thus creating jobs and revenue |
| The government has said it wants aviation included in | | | | for the tax man to get his greedy hands on. |
| the next round of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. | | | | Most of the wealthier nations in Europe are |
| What is this? Well… | | | | developing an air dependent culture and its clear that |
| There is an emissions trading scheme in operation | | | | something needs to be done. Frequent flying for |
| internationally but many people are not aware that | | | | business and pleasure and second homes abroad is |
| this is perceived to be the cornerstone of the climate | | | | fuelling this growth in air travel. Other forms of public |
| change policy in the EU and USA. | | | | transport such as rail are getting more expensive |
| Firms are set quotas on how much carbon dioxide | | | | making domestic flights within the UK more |
| they can produce per year, if they produce more | | | | affordable and convenient. In the USA this tends not |
| than this allowance, then they buy an allowance from | | | | to be the case due to the distance between major |
| another firm that has not reached its quota on how | | | | cities. |
| much it can produce in one year! Get it? | | | | Carbon offsetting helps you to offset the carbon |
| Emissions Trading is particularly suited to the | | | | dioxide that you use when flying by planting trees or |
| emissions of greenhouse gases, the gases responsible | | | | installing solar panels and thereby removing your |
| for global warming, which have the same effect | | | | contribution to global climate change. You contribute |
| wherever they are emitted. The idea of the | | | | to pollution by flying; you reduce the pollution by |
| carbon-trading scheme was to raise the cost to firms | | | | planting trees! You are carbon neutral! |