News & Comment Latest news and headlines from the media

It is fantastic that the aviation industry has united to call for a global sectoral deal to address its climate impact and shows the urgency with which all sectors are taking the challenge.

The Sustainable Aviation Road Map has shown how the UK industry is committed to reduce its emissions to 2000 levels by 2050 against a threefold increase in passenger numbers.   That is a major challenge but one which we are confident the industry can meet through a combination of technology, use of sustainable biofuels and operational improvements.

The roll-out of sustainable bio-jet fuels is fast becoming a reality as more airlines carry out test-flights and invest in development.  Anti-aviation groups have claimed that bio-fuels for aircraft is science fiction: recent developments prove it is science reality.

The inclusion of aviation within a global deal on emissions is also a crucial part of this mix.  We want to see this delivered in a way which encourages improved environmental performance in aviation and generates a positive response from the rest of the international community.

The most effective way to pay for, and incentivise the reduction of, aviation emissions is through a global emissions trading scheme – the whole industry supports this approach and hopes that agreement on this can be achieved at Copenhagen in December.

The worst way to approach this issue is through unilateral action to stop people flying using tax, such as Air Passenger Duty, which simply penalises ordinary families who only fly occasionally and is, in any case, environmentally ineffective since none of the revenue goes towards improving environmental performance.