Karl Wallendszus, of Oxford FoE, said, "We want the Government’s new Climate Change Law to cover all sources of carbon dioxide emissions, including the UK’s share of emissions from international aviation and shipping, which are not included in the current proposed law." Andrew Smith and Evan Harris will have the opportunity to vote on this law when it is debated in Parliament later this month.

Aviation is a fast growing source of carbon dioxide emissions. Government figures published in January 2008 showed aviation accounts for 6.4 per cent of UK carbon emissions*. The impact of aviation emissions is double that of carbon dioxide alone because of other gases that planes emit**.

Kevin Meaney of Oxford WDM said, “It’s crazy for Gordon Brown to leave out climate changing emissions from planes and ships from the new Climate Change Law but that’s what he is doing. Why should our local industry and businesses be held to account for their carbon emissions but not the aviation industry? We hope our MPs, Andrew Smith and Evan Harris, will use their votes to call for a strong Climate Change law that covers all emissions.”

The Big Ask is calling on MPs to vote for a climate change law that:
• Includes the UK’s share of emissions from international shipping and aviation
• Commits the UK to cutting its emissions by 80 per cent by 2050
• Ensures steady progress by cutting emissions by at least 3 per cent a year.


Notes:
1. *www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics
2. **Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (2002). The Environmental Effects of Civil Aircraft in Flight (see www.rcep.org.uk/aviation.html).

Contact: Jenny Nicholson, Oxford WDM ( http://oxfordwdm.blogspot.com/): 07766 676371 or Karl Wallendszus, Oxford FoE ( http://www.oxfoe.co.uk/): 07908 315374