Dying on a jet plane - The UK government, aviation and climate injustice

This report looks at the aviation sector’s contribution to climate change. In 2005, aviation accounted for 6.3 per cent of the UK’s CO2 emissions. Given the extra warming effects of non-CO2 emissions from aviation, aviation’s share of the UK’s contribution to climate change is higher still. It is predicted that CO2 emissions from UK aviation will more than double by 2030 and treble by 2050. The UK government is committed to limiting the increase in global temperatures to 2°C on pre-industrial levels. A 50 per cent chance of achieving this requires a global emissions cut of 70 per cent by 2050 and 75 per cent by 2100. Given the UK’s per capita emissions, a cut of 85-90 per cent by 2050 is needed. This is impossible at the current rate of aviation growth. Government action on aviation should therefore be a critical part of the battle against climate change.