Archived press release

Official Government climate advisers call for curbs on aviation emissions

9 September 2009

Global aviation emissions should be capped as part of international efforts to tackle global warming, the UK government's official climate change advisor recommended today, ahead of crucial international climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

In a letter to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband, the Committee on Climate Change said that developed nations such as Britain must take a lead in making significant reductions in aviation emissions "ensuring that these are no higher - and possibly lower - than 2005 levels in the period to 2050." Emissions from international aviation and shipping were left out of the Kyoto climate treaty.

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"The Climate Change Committee is right to call for the aviation industry to play its part in tackling global warming.

"International aviation emissions must be curbed as part of global plans to avoid catastrophic climate change.

"Rich countries must end their obsession with the growth of air travel, agree significant reductions in aviation emissions as part of a global climate agreement in Copenhagen, and ensure that this happens without cheating by carbon offsetting.

"The UK must also take action by reviewing its disastrous aviation policy and scrapping plans to allow UK airports to expand".

Friends of the Earth is demanding that the Government changes its approach to climate change with its Demand Climate Change campaign, to secure a strong and fair international agreement on tackling climate change at UN talks in Copenhagen this December. In advance of the talks, Friends of the Earth is calling for:

* The Government to abandon its promotion of carbon offsetting and pledge to cut emissions by at least 42 per cent by 2020 at home;
* New money for developing countries, distributed through the UN, so that they can develop cleanly and adapt to the effects of climate change which are already putting millions of lives at risk. Measures to tackle aviation growth could make a significant contribution to this.
* No inclusion of rainforests in carbon markets, so that rich countries cannot buy up large tracts of land to offset their emissions.

The green campaign group is asking everyone to sign its international petition to world leaders at http://www.demandclimatechange.org/

Notes:

1. The Climate Change Committee was invited to advise the Government on options to reduce global aviation emissions ahead of December's UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust