Thread by @jonburkeUK

✈️Since 2009, the number of foreign flights taken by people from the U.K has increased by 57% (29 million).
✈️ 75% of flights are taken by just 15% of people.
✈️There is no single act of consumption that has a greater impact on global warming emissions.

Aviation, A THREAD...

Now, before frequent flyer vegans assail my mentions, please be aware that a) demand elasticity for food is lower than for flights; and b) a *year's* consumption of cow's milk (200ml a day) produces around 80% of the CO2 of *one* return economy flight from London to Berlin.

It's great news that the Government has accepted the recommendation of @theCCCuk on including aviation emissions in its 2035 decarbonisation targets, but worrying that it makes no reference to demand management, which is essential to achieving this goal... gov.uk/government/new…

Not only does the Gov't have no plan to drastically reduce aviation emissions, it is potentially going to ignore the advice of @theCCCuk by considering a cut in air passenger duty for the most avoidable form of aviation - domestic flights... bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi…

And this isn't my view, but that of the @CommonsPAC, which recently concluded that:

🌡️🌍 'Gov't lacks plan for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions'; and

🌡️🌍 has "not...engaged with the public on the...individual behaviour changes that achieving net zero will require"

You can read the Public Accounts Committee's Achieving Net Zero report here:
committees.parliament.uk/publications/4…

...and find media coverage here:

https://twitter.com/jonburkeUK/status/1367846167229460489

I'm not saying that we should abolish aviation, but I am saying that aviation produces massively-outsized emissions and that, if you wish to fly, the costs of decarbonising that choice should fall firmly with you, the consumer. Fair and reasonable.

Currently, there is no meaningful plan to reduce aviation emissions so, as a technologically 'hard to abate' sector, reduced demand will have to play a part in that process. Time for the Government to embed structural responsibility in our consumer choices with a carbon tax.