In several previous articles we have referenced the recommendations of the UK Climate Change Committee. This body has, on several occasions, directed the UK Government to halt all expansion of airports to help the UK to meet its carbon reduction targets.
So far their advice has been ignored.
Now we have a report from the Environmental Audit Committee, a cross party Commons Select Committee, whose remit is to consider the extent to which the Policies and Programmes of Government Departments and non-Departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development. The Committee audits the performance of such bodies against sustainable development and environmental protection targets.
They have just published their third report, on Net Zero and the UK aviation sector:-https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1408/net-zero-aviation-and-shipping/publications/
The Government deadline to respond to this report is February 2024, and a summary of this report can be found here:- https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/mps-call-for-curbs-on-flying-if-no-progress-is-made-on-emissions-by-2025-43936?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TTG%20Daily
The Committee notes that the Government was still not considering active Demand Management and cutting flights, as part of the Jet Zero strategy to be net zero by 2050. It calls for a Government Review on the progress of the Jet Zero Strategy by the end of 2025, and if emissions are not falling quickly enough, that Demand Management should be reconsidered.
The Committee stated their concern that Jet Zero did not go far enough to stem rising emissions from the aviation sector, as by 2050 aviation would be the UK’s largest CO2 emitter, unless it was included in carbon budgets, which are the limits on the amount of greenhouse gases the UK can emit over a five year period.
More sensible words from within Central Government, but maybe that is the keyword in all this is “sensible”. Central Government has a track record of not being “sensible” across a broad swathe of its policies. However, 2024 will of course be a General Election year, so what better time for all the main political parties to listen to both of these committees, and put the stopping of airport/aviation expansions as a keystone of their election manifestos?
Stop all Airport Expansions and give the planet a fighting chance to reset climate change