UK: Aviation Industry Plans to Reduce Emissions

New targets to reduce the environmental impact of air travel - set
to triple over the next 30 years - are being launched by the UK's
aviation industry.

Aircraft manufacturers, airports and airlines aim to
reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced by new aircraft over the
next 15 years by half.

There will also be similar targets to cut noise caused by passenger aircraft.

Airport Operators Association chief Keith Jowett said it was part of a "constant endeavour" by the industry.

He denied that the announcement showed a "twinge of conscience".

Firms wanted "to achieve environmental improvement as
well as economic benefit - something we've being doing for many years
now - and something we intend to do into the future," he told the BBC.

Environmentalists 'critical'

The new objectives have received the backing of most of the UK's aviation companies.

BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds said
environmentalists were likely to criticise the plan for not seeking to
reduce the amount of aircraft in Britain's crowded skies.

They had wanted larger taxes imposed on air travel, he said.

"But the companies behind the strategy say it is radical - and will deliver improvements to the environment."

The targets come as Brendon Sewill, a former Treasury
adviser, said the government's current policy for dealing with aviation
emissions would not solve the problem of pollution.

In "Fly now, grieve later", a study published by the
Aviation Environment Federation, Mr Sewill said Britain was "the
world's worst climate change culprit" after the US as far as aviation
was concerned.

He said there were a number of ways that the UK could combat aviation pollution.

His suggestions include increasing the air passenger
duty airport departure tax, imposing VAT on air tickets, abolishing
duty-free sales and ending the planning system to discourage airport
expansion.

• 107 Energy
• 183 Environment