News: Minister slams aviation industry over CO2 emissions

Flights > News > # 1138 (04/01/2007)

A junior minister has launched a scathing attack on the airline industry over its failure to tackle carbon dioxide emissions.

Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, Environment Minister Ian Pearson said no-frills giant Ryanair represented the “irresponsible face of capitalism” and labelled US airlines’ attitude to cutting emissions as “a disgrace”.

The EU has recently proposed including airlines in its carbon trading scheme, which will see them pay for exceeding their current level of emissions. Flights within the EU would come under the jurisdiction of the Emissions Trading Scheme by 2011 and from 2012 all flights into and out of the EU would be included. The EU also want to introduce a carbon trading scheme, with airlines being issued with pollution permits - those that cut emissions would be able to sell their surplus while an airline that increased its emissions would have to buy more permits. Ryanair has said it will reject efforts to control carbon emissions in this way, saying a trading scheme would discriminate against low-cost airlines.

Mr Pearson singled out Ryanair in particular, but also criticised British Airways, saying it was “only just playing ball”, and the German national carrier Lufthansa. Mr Pearson told the Guardian: “When it comes to climate change, Ryanair are not just the unacceptable face of capitalism, they are the irresponsible face of capitalism.”

Ryanair has insisted Mr Pearson is misinformed, and said it has spent over $10 billion (£5 billion) on a fleet of fuel-efficient aircraft which have reduced fuel burn by 45% and cut CO2 emissions by 50% per passenger, making it Europe's greenest airline. Laughing off the minister’s verbal volley, Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said: “Being attacked by minister Pearson reminds me of (former Labour minister) Denis Healy’s famous quip (about former Tory minister Geoffrey Howe). It is like “being savaged by a dead sheep”. It is clear that minister Pearson hasn’t a clue what he’s talking about.

“Like most politicians, he talks a lot but does little. At a time when aviation generates just 1.6% of greenhouse gasses, isn’t it time that he and other equally foolish politicians actually tackled the real causes of climate change which is road transport and power generation.

“In the meantime, Ryanair will continue to be Europe’s greenest airline while opposing these so called “environmental taxes” which is just another way of greedy politicians grabbing more money from ordinary passengers while doing nothing at all for the environment.”

Mr Pearson’s astonishing attack didn’t end with Ryanair, he also launched a tirade against attitudes towards tackling aviation emissions by US airlines. He added: “They just seem to be saying they don't want anything to do with the trading scheme, and that they will take the EU to court if transatlantic flights are included. It is completely irresponsible.”

The American aviation industry has already questioned whether it would be legal within global trading rules to force airlines flying into the EU to take part in the scheme, and it has been reported that US airlines are considering legal action to challenge the EU’s efforts.

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