Did you know?
Aviation emissions are not included when countries add up their greenhouse gas emissions, so the whole industry gets to sit outside of the annual negotiations on climate change and come up with separate rules and goals.
How we get around makes a big difference to our carbon footprint, and flying emissions can really add up because of the long distances covered in a plane. That’s why cutting back on flying, especially long haul, offers another good way to cut a tonne, or more, from your carbon footprint.
Just 1% of people account for 50% of all emissions from flying so cutting back is a particularly big opportunity for frequent fliers. One return trip from Los Angeles to London can emit over 2.5tonnes of carbon emissions, with the effect made worse by the contrails a plane releases high in the atmosphere.
Like the shift to a more plant-based diet, this is not about giving up all flying immediately. The key is to keep flights short and once a year to see big carbon cuts. One day sustainable aviation fuel will be able to reduce the carbon footprint of flying, and then people can take to the skies again.