Greens call for Blair and Howard to back aviation bill
The Green Party have called on Tony Blair and Michael Howard to back the Air Traffic Emissions Bill, which is designed to reduce aviation pollution.
Both leaders have recently made high profile speeches on the environment and climate change and the Green Party are urging them to back its Bill.
The Bill was introduced into the Lords last year by the House’s only Green peer Lord Beaumont of Whitley. It passed through the committee stages in March.
Commonly referred to as the “No New Runways” Bill, it calls for a drastic reduction in emissions to prevent climate change. A 50 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from the aviation sector by 2050 forms the crux of the demand.
Both the Government and the Opposition have been reluctant to make promises on tackling the growth in aviation, largely fuelled by low cost airlines. They have citied international obligations governing aviation taxes, and stressed the benefit to the UK’s economy of the aviation industry.
Lord Beaumont said today: “Tony Blair and Michael Howard have both expressed grave concerns recently about climate change. Mr Blair said aviation would be contributing a quarter of our emissions by 2030.
“Mr Howard said Labour was ducking the issue of aviation emissions. Yet neither has revised his policies for expanding the aviation industry.
“One cannot pretend to be serious about climate change and still champion the expansion of aviation”, he added
The Greens are seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister to press their case for cross-party cooperation on tackling climate change.
