Sign up to E-News
Climate Change Kills: World Development Movement delivers giant health warning to air passengers
17 August 2007
The World Development Movement today delivers a stark reminder to the millions of passengers who fly from Heathrow that climate change kills. WDM placed a huge ‘climate change kills’ banner underneath the Heathrow flight path visible to passengers as they are taking off.
Martin Powell, World Development Movement Climate Campaigner said at Climate Camp today:
“The banner is a reminder to people that climate change is real and that aviation emissions are a key cause of the changes that are happening to our environment. Climate change will hit poor countries first and worst and hundreds of millions of people in poor countries will lose their livelihoods and lives.
“The UK government plans to massively expand airports across the UK including Heathrow, and effectively subsidises the aviation industry to the tune of £10.4 billion a year. If we are to have any chance of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to sustainable levels this has to stop.”
The impact of aviation on climate change is estimated to be 12% of the UK’s contribution to climate change; that is more than cars at 9% and home heating at 11%. But given the government’s plans to encourage flying but reduce emissions from other sectors of the economy, it is estimated that by 2050 aviation will account for almost half of the UK’s contribution to climate change.
WDM is running workshops at Climate Camp on aviation emissions in order to share the research and campaigning tools.
ENDS
To organise an interview or for more information, please call:
Kate Blagojevic
Press officer, World Development Movement
0207 820 4900/4913, 07711 875 345, Email:
Notes to Editors
- The World Development Movement’s research report ‘Emissions Invisible’ highlights that the UK government supports a massive expansion in UK aviation that will allow aviation emissions to continue to rise. If the planned reductions in emissions take place from all other sectors of the UK economy, the contribution of aviation to climate change is predicted to increase by 33% by 2050.
- The World Development Movement campaigns to tackle the root causes of poverty. WDM believes that charity is not enough and aims to change the policies that keep the developing world poor. It is a democratic and politically independent organisation with 16,500 supporters and 70 local groups across the UK. For more information, go to www.wdm.org.uk
Print this page
