UK Considers Mandating Flight Emissions Information to Help Travellers Cut Their Carbon Footprint
by Christopher Surgenor (GreenAir Online) As part of its ‘Jet Zero’ strategy to ensure the aviation sector meets the national target of net zero emissions by 2050, the UK government is considering whether to mandate the provision of standard, reliable and accurate environmental information to encourage travellers at the time of booking their flights to choose the greenest option. Such information, says the Department for Transport (DfT) in a consultation launched last month, could help passengers make more informed decisions, increase public awareness of carbon emissions and climate change, and support aviation growth in a sustainable manner. New analysis of US domestic routes by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), which supports itinerary-level emissions disclosure by airlines at the point of purchase, shows the carbon footprint of different itineraries on the same route varies greatly in terms of CO2 emissions per passenger. On average the most fuel-efficient itineraries emitted 63% less CO2 per passenger than the highest emitting itinerary. Greater efficiency also tends to correlate with lower fares, which is a win-win for consumers and the environment, says ICCT.
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“The flip side of voluntary behaviour change by consumers is to internalise the environmental costs of flying into ticket prices through taxation policies or market-based emissions regulations,” say the authors. “While effective, experience suggests that these policy instruments are politically difficult and may take a long time to craft and implement. Emissions disclosure, on the other hand, could conceivably be implemented in a shorter period with fewer resources because it is politically less fraught.” READ MORE
