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PRESS / MARCH 2010 / FLYINGMATTERS COMMENTS ON GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO TRANSPORT SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF AVIATION

FlyingMatters comments on Government response to Transport Select Committee report on the future of aviation 2 March 2010

Commenting on the Government’s response to the Transport Select Committee’s report on the future of aviation, Michelle Di Leo, Director of FlyingMatters, the national campaign for flying, said:

“We are pleased that the government has confirmed its support for the need for additional capacity at Heathrow and recognises the significant economic and social benefits of aviation throughout the UK. It’s clear that High Speed Rail is complementary to air transport, not a substitute for it.

We share the Government’s disappointment at the lack of progress at Copenhagen of an international agreement for aviation. The UK industry, under the banner of Sustainable Aviation, has set out a road map demonstrating how it canreduce its emissions by 50% per passenger km by 2050 and is committed to delivering this.  In the meantime, continuing to seek an international approach for dealing with aviation’s global environmental impact remains a priority.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors

  1. FlyingMatters is a broad coalition of organisations that support sustainable growth in aviation, which includes trade unions, business, tourism groups, farmers in the developing world as well as the aviation industry (airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air traffic control).  A full list of members is available at http://www.flyingmatters.org.uk/about/

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Worrying trend in public views of climate change

There have been a number of interesting stories in the media over the couple of weeks in relation to aviation and the environment. The Guardian reported on a CAA survey which revealed that only 7% of air passengers are willing to pay more for their flights by offsetting their carbon emissions. Moreover, the survey showed that a very small number of travellers - 9% - have chosen to fly less often in the last year because of environmental considerations.

Read article September 3 2010

Comment Latest reaction

These stories would be interesting taken separately. Taken together they indicate a worrying trend.  The IPCC urgently needs to rebuild its reputation and credibility.  Climate Change affects us all and we cannot afford for the world's leading authority to be sidelined.

Credibility and public support is also an issue for the Climate Camp.  Policies to deal with climate change will only be effective if they secure public support.  The Climate Camp's approach to media relations undermines public support of their aims.  The CAA survey of the public's attitude towards flying and climate change and the lack of take up of tools such as offsetting reveals the combined impact of each of these factors on public attitudes and actions.

The aviation and travel industry agree that climate change is a global challenge to which we must rise. That's why it invests over £2.5billion every year to find new technological breakthroughs to defeat it.  The industry has already committed itself to reducing 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 inclusion of aviation within a global deal on emissions is also a crucial part of this mix.

It is in all our interests to ensure that we build public support for these changes.

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FlyingMatters seeks to contribute to a balanced and informed debate on aviation's contribution to climate change and to ensure proper account is taken within this debate of its economic and social benefits.