UPDATE: New action against aviation emissions

We know that we need to take action to cut flights if we have any chance of keeping aviation emissions in line with our climate goals.

But we also know that the aviation industry is determined to keep expanding, and our government is backing them rather than doing the only thing which we know works: getting the people who fly most to fly a bit less.

With your help, we’re taking action against excessive aviation emissions and putting forward positive, practical solutions.

Action against aviation ads

We’re one of a range of organisations who have reported Luton Airport to the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for allegedly misleading the public over the environmental impact of the airport’s proposed expansion. 

The ads have been placed in the run up to a critical government decision on the airport’s plans to expand from 18 million to 32 million passengers per year. The ads say that the airport’s expansion would be “stopped in its tracks” if “environmental limits” were breached, but this failed to take into account emissions from flights, which currently make up more than 80% of the airport’s total emissions. 

This is greenwash, pure and simple, designed to let the public believe that airports can go on expanding while maintaining a safe climate.  We’ll keep you updated on how our complaint progresses. 

Taking the government to court

The government has an official plan for bringing down aviation emissions called the Jet Zero Strategy. But it relies on wishful thinking and unproven technologies, so it’s not up to the task.

You might remember that our legal team at Leigh Day filed on our behalf for a judicial review against the Jet Zero Strategy to challenge the government’s plans in court. Now, we’ve just had to do this all over again.

At the end of October the Department for Transport made what they claim was a new decision to continue with the Jet Zero Strategy, forcing us to file an additional legal challenge. However, the government did not announce this decision publicly nor communicate it to parliament. 

This feels like they’re trying to evade proper scrutiny on climate policy. But we aren’t giving up until we get a plan for aviation emissions which will actually hit our climate goals.

A huge step forward 

While the government buries its head in the sand and the aviation industry goes on growing, the momentum behind the real solutions continues to snowball.

The Environmental Audit Committee - a cross-party group of MPs who look at the government’s environment policy and hold them to account - have come out in support of the frequent flyer levy and officially recommended that it should be brought in.

They said: "We recommend that Ministers reconsider the role of demand management measures in aviation emissions policy. In preparation for the outcome of that review, we recommend that the Government develop policy proposals on demand reduction, including consideration of greater use of digital technologies, reducing the cost of rail travel, and a frequent flyer levy”

Getting the people who fly most to fly a bit less is the only thing which will bring down aviation emissions, and more and more people can see it. This is a huge endorsement of our policy and a massive win for our campaugn.

We’re going to keep taking action against greenwash and government inaction, and pushing for the solutions which will actually work. Thank you for all you’ve done to support us so far - we’ll keep going til aviation is on course for a safe landing.