UK government 'should do more' to curb CO2 emissions and improve air quality

The government should focus on cutting CO2 emissions from aircraft, according to a campaign group within the aviation industry.

John Stewart, a spokesperson for the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise, said that the British government needs to take action because flight emissions are the fastest growing source of CO2 in the atmosphere.

"More needs to be done in developing cleaner planes but I think in order to achieve the targets the airlines will have to look at reducing the number of planes in the sky," he said.

Earlier this month, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) announced that a global framework relating to the development and use of alternative aviation fuels was adopted at its conference.

ICAO's statement setting out future initiatives and best practice guidelines within the global aviation industry will be presented at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference next month.

The secretary general for the organisation also stated its intention to supply ten per cent of the international aviation industry's fuel from alternative and sustainable sources within ten years.

Posted by Joseph Hutton