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The Climate Question: Can flying ever be climate friendly?

Magazines & Reviews

25/07/2022 GMT

Can flying ever be climate friendly?

BBC World Service - The Climate Question, Can flying ever be climate friendly?

What are the aviation industry’s plans for cutting its emissions?

We look at the aviation industry’s plans for cutting its impact on the climate.

Since the 1990s, air flight has made the world a smaller place. In one 24-hour period you can fly to the other end of the globe. In an hour you might be able to skip the traffic and fly to the other end of your country.  

But this convenience comes at a cost….to the climate. Aviation accounts for somewhere between 2 to 5% of the world’s emissions. And as the world’s desire to travel proves insatiable, the number of planes in the sky each day is only increasing.  

The aviation industry has aspirational plans to decarbonise using sustainable and/or synthetic aviation fuels. But these are currently some way off. In the meantime, airlines are offering carbon offsets.  
Offsets are controversial products and only 1% of passengers pay for them. So, this week on The Climate Question we are asking, can flying ever be climate friendly?  

Presenters Neal Razzell and Merlyn Thomas speak with the following contributors:  
Jo Dardenne, Aviation Director at Transport & Environment  
Souparna Lahiri, Climate Policy Advisor with The Global Forest Coalition 
Simon Berrow, Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group  
Joana Setzer, Assistant Professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment, LSE 
Special thanks to Helen Coffey, author of Zero Altitude: How I learned to fly less and travel more  
Sebastian Mikosz of the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
 
The team this week:  
Reporters: Peter O’Connell in Kilrush on the west coast of Ireland 
Researcher: Louise Parry & Immy Rhodes  
Producer: Dearbhail Starr  
Series Producer: Alex Lewis  
Production Coordinators: Iona Hammond & Siobhan Reed 
Editor: Richard Vadon  
Sound Magician: Tom Brignell

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Can flying ever be climate friendly?

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