Archived press release

Which causes more climate damage? One trip to US or one year's motoring in UK

2 May 2000

One flight to and from the US could cause more pollution than the average UK motorist does in a year, Friends of the Earth revealed today.

“Aviation and Global Climate Change” is published today by Friends of the Earth, the Aviation Environment Federation, the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection and HACAN/Clear Skies. It shows that just one return flight from London to Miami produces as much carbon dioxide (CO2) as the average British motorist does driving for a whole year. Carbon dioxide is the principal cause of climate change [1].

“Aviation and Global Climate Change” also shows that:

• the world's 16,000 commercial jet aircraft produce more than 600 million tonnes of CO2every year, nearly as much as all the countries of Africa put together;
• the number of people flying will almost double in the next 15 years;
• tourist destinations including the Maldives could be submerged because of sea-level rises caused by climate change;
• airlines pay no tax on the kerosene they use and therefore do not have sufficient incentive to conserve fuel or increase passenger loadings.

Friends of the Earth wants consumers to consider holidaying nearer home, to take trains instead of short flights and to use teleconferencing to replace unessential business flights.

Simon McRae, Aviation Campaigner of Friends of the Earth said:
“People may not know that flying is so polluting. Despite the damage they do, airlines,unlike other transport users, pay no tax on the fuel they use. So they have less incentive to save fuel. And passengers have no incentive to consider less polluting ways to travel”.

NOTES

[1] Calculations for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions based on 1998 DETR Transport Statistics and 1997 Dutch study 'Energy and emissions profile of aircraft and other modes of transport over European Distances' by Centre for Energy Conservation and Environmental Technologies. CO2 produced per passenger: air travel = 0.17 kg/km,car travel = 0.14 kg/km, Average distance travelled by UK motorist in one year = 16,108 km, Distance for return flight from UK to Miami = 14,207 km. Therefore: CO2 generated by a) UK motorist in one year = 2255 kg, b) One return flight to Miami = 2415 kg.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust