Can flying ever be climate friendly?
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\u2026.to the climate. Aviation accounts for somewhere between 2 to 5% of the world\u2019s emissions. And as the world\u2019s 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. \nOffsets 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: \nJo Dardenne, Aviation Director at Transport & Environment \nSouparna Lahiri, Climate Policy Advisor with The Global Forest Coalition \nSimon Berrow, Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group \nJoana Setzer, Assistant Professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment, LSE \nSpecial thanks to Helen Coffey, author of Zero Altitude: How I learned to fly less and travel more \nSebastian Mikosz of the International Air Transport Association (IATA)\n \nThe team this week: \nReporters: Peter O\u2019Connell in Kilrush on the west coast of Ireland \nResearcher: Louise Parry & Immy Rhodes \nProducer: Dearbhail Starr \nSeries Producer: Alex Lewis \nProduction Coordinators: Iona Hammond & Siobhan Reed \nEditor: Richard Vadon \nSound Magician: Tom Brignell