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Archived press release

Aviation White Paper progress report due Thursday

12 December 2006

GOVERNMENT MUST SCRAP AIRPORT EXPANSION TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE

The Government must respond to the Stern Review by scrapping plans to allow a huge expansion in UK airports when Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander publishes his progress report on the 2003 Aviation White Paper later this week (Thursday 14 December), says Friends of the Earth.

The Aviation White Paper supported airport expansion - including the building of four new runways - to accommodate a substantial growth in air travel, even though this would have a disastrous impact on efforts to substantially curb UK carbon dioxide emissions.

In October, the Treasury-commissioned Stern Review, the most comprehensive review ever carried out on the economics of climate change, was published. It warned that unless we take urgent action to tackle climate change, the environmental, human and economic costs will be huge. Friends of the Earth says that the Government must take action following the Stern Review to cut UK carbon dioxide emissions. Emissions have risen under Labour despite repeated promises of significant cuts.

In a letter published in The Times on Monday (11 December), the main opposition parties, and influential MPs, academics and environmental organisations called for an aviation policy rethink because “the Government's policy of building four new runways to accommodate massive growth is short sighted and cannot be reconciled with tackling climate change and environmental protection” [1].

Friends of the Earth's aviation campaigner Richard Dyer said:

“The anticipated growth in air travel threatens to destroy Government plans to tackle climate change. Scientists predict that by 2050 aviation alone could be responsible for half of the UK's carbon dioxide target. We still have time to act. But it requires Government urgency. Douglas Alexander must review his department's disastrous aviation policies and scrap plans to expand UK airports.”

“Bringing aviation into an EU Emissions Trading Scheme is not a solution to the industry's impact on climate change. It will not happen for a number of years and is unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in the growth in air travel. There is a role for ETS, but we need other measures too to ensure that aviation plays its part in the development of a low-carbon economy.“

“Four fifths of all UK trips abroad are within Europe. Many of these destinations could easily be reached by rail. Governments and the travel industry must do more to boost investment in rail travel and make it easier and cheaper for people to use the train.”

A Friends of the Earth briefing on aviation and climate change can be found at:
www.foe.co.uk/resource/media_briefing/alexanders_first_test.pdf(PDF)

Aviation is the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide in the UK

• Carbon emissions from UK aviation increased by 11 per cent in 2004 alone [2] and are estimated to increase four fold between 2000 and 2050 [3].

• Aviation emissions are estimated to have between two and four times the climate change impact of carbon emissions alone due to complex chemical reactions at altitude [4].

• There is no prospect of a significant technological breakthrough that will reduce aircraft emissions. Gradual improvements might manage 1.2 per cent per year reduction in emissions [5]. But this is inadequate to counter the current growth in passengers of 6.4 per cent per year [6].

• Oxford University recently concluded [7] that it will be impossible to meet the UK`s 60 per cent carbon reduction by 2050 climate target without curbing aviation growth.

• Recent research by the respected Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research [8] found that a more ambitious 90 per cent cut in emissions from 1990 levels by 2050 - and around 70 per cent by 2030 - is necessary. Tyndall also warned that aviation could account for all of this target within 30 years [9]

Friends of the Earth is calling for the Government rethink aviation policy, including:

• Airport expansion plans to be cancelled;

• A further increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) - there was a modest rise in last week's Pre Budget Report - and a commitment to increase it annually as an interim measure until other effective economic measures to reduce air travel growth and reduce emissions are available;

• Honesty and openness from the Government about the scale of the challenge and necessary solutions to enable the aviation industry and public to plan and adapt for the future.

Friends of the Earth's The Big Ask campaign

Through The Big Ask climate campaign, Friends of the Earth has led the call for a new law to tackle climate change and the need for it to require annual cuts in UK carbon dioxide emissions every year. The demand is supported by around two thirds of all MPs, all the main opposition parties and a wide coalition of organizations. The Government has announced that a new climate change law will be introduced, and is currently consulting on the details of what it will contain. It must include aviation emissions and annual targets that will force successive governments to take serious action to tackle climate change, and to implement policies that will actually achieve them. (www.thebigask.com).

The Airportwatch Rethink! campaign

Friends of the Earth is also part of the Airportwatch coalition, which is calling for a fundamental rethink of aviation policy and not a mere progress report

Notes

[1] The Times Monday 11^th December see:
www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,59-2497557,00.html

[2] DEFRA figs inc. international flights

[3] page 14, `Predict and Decide: Aviation, Climate Change and UK Policy' - University of Oxford, 17 October 2006
www.eci.ox.ac.uk/research/energy/predictanddecide.php

[4 page 16 -17, `Predict and Decide'

[5 based on IPCC findings, see page 8 “Growth Scenarios..” http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/transport/news/tyndall_launch.html

[6] Eurostat figs see:- page 49 “Growth Scenarios..” www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/transport/news/tyndall_launch.html

[7 `Predict and Decide'

[8 The Future Starts Here - the route to a low carbon economy (Research for The Co-operative Bank and Friends of the Earth by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change)
www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/low_carbon_economy.pdf (PDF)

[9] If the full climate impact is taken into account, see:- `Growth Scenarios' See note 6.

Friends of the Earth campaigners are available for comment and interview before and after Thursday's report. ISDN line available for radio interviews.