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Flights from Heathrow’s third runway will emit same amount of CO2 as Kenya
21 November 2007
According to figures released today (22 Nov) by the World Development Movement, to coincide with the launch of the government’s consultation process on the third runway at Heathrow, flights from the proposed runway will release as much carbon as Kenya’s total carbon emissions every year.
On Climate Change:
Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:
“The number of flights leaving Heathrow will nearly double as a result of this expansion, creating a huge increase in harmful CO2 emissions that contribute to climate change. The fact that flights from this new runway will emit the same annual amount of CO2 emissions as Kenya does in a year is appalling.
“The government says that it is serious about tackling climate change; but in the same breath says it wants to expand the aviation sector: the UK’s fastest growing source of CO2 emissions. The reality is that most people in the developing world are too poor to fly, but they will be hit worst by climate change.
On the European Emissions Trading Scheme:
Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:
“The government’s claim that increases in emissions from aviation will be dealt with though the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is a red herring. There are so many loopholes in the scheme, it is virtually meaningless. There is a great deal of evidence already which predicts that the price of carbon is too low and that it will have little effect in reducing emissions from aviation.”
“The World Development Movement is calling on the government to ensure that its previous and present commitments to tackling poverty are not undone by ignoring the impact of emissions from aviation on climate change.”
ENDS
For comment or interview please contact:
Kate Blagojevic
Press officer, World Development Movement
0207 820 4900/4913, 07711 875 345, Email:
Notes to Editors
- WDM estimates that with the introduction of a third runway, Heathrow’s annual CO2 emissions from flying will increase by 9.8 million tonnes. This is the same as the whole of Kenya’s annual CO2 output.
- WDM has estimated that the 9.8 million tonnes figure through the predicted increase in passenger numbers from the third runway, and the current passenger numbers and CO2 emissions for UK aviation as a whole.
- The information on increased passenger activity due to a third runway was from a written parliamentary answer by Merron Gillian (16 May 2007).
- Kenya’s annual CO2 output can be found on the Energy Information Administration’s website. http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/international/iealf/tableh1co2.xls
- 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 15,000 supporters and 70 local groups across the UK. For more information, go to www.wdm.org.uk
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