Member News
Transport secretary Lord Adonis has ruled out an immediate tax rises for airline travellers, but conceded that future tax increases were possible.
In response to the committee on climate change, Lord Adonis defended the decision to build a third runway at Heathrow, which the committee considers inconsistent with Britain's commitment to reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2020.
The climate change committee on Wednesday sent a letter to climate change secretary Ed Miliband and Lord Adonis calling on ministers to cap aviation emissions.
The committee's chief executive David Kennedy explained: "It is vital that an agreement capping global aviation emissions is part of a Copenhagen deal.
"We are calling for a cap that would not require people to fly less than today, but would constrain aviation emissions growth going forward."
But Lord Adonis defended the government's stance on aviation emissions.
"The changes we are making to air passenger duty are to ensure that aviation does pay its fair share of taxes, against its cost to the environment," he said on Wednesday.
Speaking after a high-speed rail conference in London, Lord Adonis said: "There is no incompatibility whatsoever between the committee on climate change report and a third runway at Heathrow.
"The statement of policy which [former transport secretary] Geoff Hoon made on January 15 included the 2050 target for aviation emissions to be lower than 2005."
And questioned on flight taxes, he added: "We have no plans other than those announced by the chancellor.
"But these will be kept under review as part of the Treasury's normal Budget process."
A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesman said: "The government welcomes the climate change committee's advice on this critical issue.
"We will take full account of the committee's independent advice as we continue to press for international aviation to tackle climate change at Copenhagen."
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.