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UK flights emit same amount of CO as the 15 poorest countries’ total COemissions
11 October 2007
Each year, the UK releases as much carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere through flying as the total annual CO2 emissions from the 15 poorest countries in the world, the World Development Movement revealed today.
Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:
“While the government claims to be a world leader on climate change, UK carbon emissions have increased since 1997.
“If the government is serious about stopping dangerous climate change, they must introduce legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions in line with the latest science. These can only be met if the growth in aviation emissions is halted, which at the very least means scrapping the government’s airport expansion plans.
“Rich countries have an insatiable appetite for flying but it is the poorest countries in the world, like Mali and Mozambique that contribute little to the problem that will suffer the consequences of climate change.”
The campaigners believe that the government is ignoring the climate impact of emissions from the UK’s share of international flights. The World Development Movement points out that under current government plans, flights alone will account for almost half of the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050. The government’s targets to cut CO2 will be meaningless if they do not include emissions from international flights.
How flights from the airports compare with total emissions from poor countries
Airport |
Country |
London airports combined |
Croatia |
Heathrow |
Tanzania, Nepal, Mozambique and Uganda combined |
Gatwick |
Tanzania, Malawi and The Gambia combined |
Manchester |
Twice as much as Uganda |
Stanstead |
Twice as much as Uganda |
Luton |
Twice the annual emissions of Mali |
Edinburgh |
Malawi and The Gambia combined |
Glasgow |
Malawi and The Gambia combined |
Birmingham |
More than Malawi |
Bristol |
Malawi |
Newcastle |
Malawi |
Belfast |
Mali |
Liverpool |
Mali |
Nottingham East Midlands |
Mali |
Leeds Bradford |
The Gambia |
Aberdeen |
The Gambia |
ENDS
For more information or to set up an interview with Benedict Southworth, please contact
Kate Blagojevic
Press officer, World Development Movement
0207 820 4900/4913, 07711 875 345, Email:
ISDN line available. Regional Breakdowns are available
Notes to Editors
- The UK’s annual CO2 emissions from aviation is estimated by DEFRA to be 37.4 million tonnes, based on estimated emissions of CO2 by IPCC source category, type of fuel and end user: 1990 – 2005. www.defra.gov.uk (2007)
- The 15 poorest countries mentioned above are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone and Zambia.
- The 15 countries are ranked as the poorest in the world in the United Nations Human Development Index, which ranks countries on Life expectancy, adult literacy, primary and secondary school enrolment, GDP/capita and the education index.
- 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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