Archived press release

UK opposes green aviation targets

26 September 2008

The UK Government is lobbying for aviation to be excluded from an EU plan to boost renewable energy, it has been revealed today [1].

Under EU proposals Europe would have to supply 20 per cent of its energy from renewable energy sources by 2020 - with the UK expected to ensure that 15 per cent of its energy came from green energy by that date. But despite paying lip service to the plan, the UK Government has continuously tried to water it down.

Documents obtained by the BBC reveal that the UK is seeking to:

• Exclude aviation from the target. The Government reportedly argues that aviation should not be included because it may be difficult for this sector to source 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources. Yet the directive does not require every sector to meet a specific target, but seeks to ensure that a percentage of our overall energy use is renewable. It is widely expected that other sectors may fall short (like heating and road transport), but this will be made up for by better performance in electricity generation, not by excluding road transport.

• Make interim targets leading up to 2020 and targets on using green energy from new homes optional, rather than compulsory.

The attempt to give special treatment to the aviation industry follows similar attempts in domestic legislation such as the Climate Change Bill. Currently this too allows Ministers to exclude international aviation and shipping emissions from the targets it sets, though many Labour backbench MPs have supported moves to ensure this is changed. During the debates on the Climate Change Bill, Minister's argued for aviation to be tackled at an international level, but they now appear to oppose EU plans too.

Friends of the Earth Energy Campaigner, Robin Webster said:

"The UK Government is acting disgracefully. It must stop attempting to sabotage European renewable energy plans and trying to wriggle out of its promise to deliver 15 per cent of our power from green sources by 2020."

"EU renewable energy plans are an essential part of its climate change strategy - Ignoring aviation would be like going on a calorie-controlled diet but refusing to count calories from chocolate."

"Gordon Brown must ensure that every government department is focused on building a thriving renewable energy industry and secure a clean, safe future for us all. This will help tackle climate change, reduce our dependency on imported fossil fuels, kick start an industry worth billions of pounds and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs."

Notes

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7636780.stm

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust