Archived press release

"Enough is Enough - No More Noise and Pollution"

6 November 1998

As Governments gather for more talks about climate change in Buenos Aires, Argentina,Friends of the Earth groups all over Europe are protesting about the growing damage to the climate caused by aviation [1]. Friends of the Earth in London has written to the Chancellor, Gordon Brown urging him to support moves to end tax subsidies for air travel.

Air travel is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. It is responsible for about 7% of global warming, including 3% of global carbon dioxide emissions. On Tuesday,a Government Task Force, chaired by Lord Marshall, Chairman of British Airways,concluded that there was a case for taxing fuel to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Yet a 50 year old international agreement means airlines pay no duty on the fuel they use, whereas motorists and long distance coach operators have to pay over 40 pence/litre[2]. Even train companies pay 3 pence/litre duty for their diesel. A stepped charge of 6 pence per litre rising to 30 pence per litre after five years would generate almost £400 million in the first year and almost £2 billion five years later from British Airways alone [3].

Airline passengers do pay air passenger duty on every flight they make (£10 for EU flights,£20 for outside the EU). Although this raises over £800 million, it provides no incentive for airlines to conserve their fuel use and cut pollution [4].

Friends of the Earth has written to Gordon Brown, today, urging him to back calls for a Europe-wide tax on aviation kerosene. FOE will also seek support from Lord Marshall,himself, to see whether he is willing to practice what he preaches [5].

Roger Higman, Friends of the Earth's Senior Transport Campaigner said:

“Flying is the most polluting form of transport there is. Yet airlines pay no duty on the fuel they use and therefore have little incentive to conserve fuel or control their emissions. The tax exemption gives airlines an unfair advantage over other forms of transport, encouraging people to travel in the least environmentally-friendly way. The Chancellor, Gordon Brown must back European moves to end this loophole by taxing airlines for the fuel they use.”

ENDS

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] More than seventy five groups in twenty three countries are protesting today as part of Friends of the Earth Europe's “Right Price for Air Travel” campaign. They are calling on Governments and the European Union to introduce a kerosene tax for all flights within the EU as well as emissions-related environmental charges, and stricter noise and emissions limits around airports.

Countries represented include: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium,Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Italy, Spain, Macedonia, Cyprus and Greece.

[2] Duties payable by different modes of transport are as follows:

	Fuel Duty (per litre)	VAT	Vehicle Excise Duty (per year)	Passenger Duty(per trip)
Car (unleaded)	£0.4399	17.5%	£150	-
Coach (diesel)	£0.4499	-	£160-480	-
Train (diesel)	£0.03	-	-	-
Train (electric)	-	-	-	-
Air (light plane - gasoline)	c. £0.22	17.5%	-	-
Air (EU)	-	-	-	£10
Air (non-EU)	-	-	-	£20

[3] In 1997-98, British Airways used 5,081,190 tonnes of aviation kerosene. 1 gallon of aviation kerosene weighs 3.6kg and and 1 gallon is 4.5461 litres. If 4.5461 litres weighs 3.6kg, then 1 litre weighs 0.7918875 kg and 1 tonne of aviation kerosene will be 1262.8056 litres.

British Airways therefore uses 5,081,190 x 1262.8056 litres = 6,416,555,186.664 litres of aviation kerosene per year. If a kerosene tax is imposed at $0.10 / litre initially rising to $0.50/litre after five years, as recommended by FOE Europe's Right Price for Air Travel campaign, British Airways would have to pay 6,416,555,186.664 x $0.10 = $641, 655, 518.67. At the moment, £1 is about $1.632. Thus British Airways would have to pay £393,171,273.69 in the first year and £1,965,856,368.45 after five years.

[4] In 1997, 114,723,506 people used British airports (departures + arrivals) of which 66,163,965 were on flights to and from destinations within the European Union and 48,559,544 on flights outside the European Union. Air passenger duty is only payable on departure. These figures for passengers carried therefore need to be halved.

Duties paid were therefore £330,819,825 for EU passengers (66,163,965 divided by 2 times £10) and £485,599,540 for non-EU passengers (48,559,954 divided by 2 times £20) or £816,419,365altogether.

[5] By early 1999, the European Commission will have published a study into the feasibility of a kerosene tax. It is also to publish a Green Paper on Aviation and the Environment which will explicitly consider the scope for using tax measures to limit the damage caused by flights.

The new German Social Democrat/Green governing coalition has expressed support for a Europe-wide tax on kerosene. The UK Government has said it will support taxing kerosene, but only if a global agreement to do so can be reached. Global negotiations on tackling aircraft emissions of

CO2 are taking place through the International Civil Aviation Authority which is not due to meet until 2001.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust