Representation by Miranda Chubb
- Date submitted
- 15 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Aviation accounts for around 7-8% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions have grown by over 80% since 1990. Greenhouse gas emissions are responsible for the climate emergency we’re facing and must be reduced. The UK has declared a climate emergency, we have signed the Paris Climate Agreement and set our own carbon targets and laws including the legal requirements of the 2008 Climate Change Act. We need deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. We should be reducing these emissions not increasing them. Increasing the runway capacity at Gatwick airport will increase the flights and carbon emissions at a time when the number of flights and emissions need to be reduced. The vast majority of flights are taken a small minority; to the detriment of the majority. Flying causes further climate change and harmful air pollution. Parts of the UK already have unacceptable levels of air pollution. Increases in flights will make this worse. Many of the flights taken are unnecessary; and could either not be taken at all, or replaced by train, bus or ferry trips. There is no reasonable probability that aviation can be de-carbonised before 2050. At best, growing the crops required for “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF) will have a devastating impact on land use, food production and biodiversity. There is no such thing as 'sustainable aviation fuel'. If we are to meet our 2050 targets and safeguard the future of humanity then aviation emissions must be reduced significantly. Building additional runways will make this target even more difficult to reach, we need to reduce flights not increase them.