Something in the air
Published : October 2007
Air travel has expanded dramatically over the past 20 years. What is the environmental impact and what are operators, manufacturers and businesses doing to reduce it? Ruari McCallion takes a bird's-eye view
As Michael O'Leary, CEO of RyanAir, has pointed out in his normal very clear style, air travel is responsible for only a tiny fraction of total CO2 emissions. The actual figure is around 3.5 per cent, which is far below other sources, especially vehicle emissions and power generation. But it has been rising fast, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the whole, as air travel itself - and the passenger miles covered - have increased. As green issues rise up the business agenda, the emissions associated with air travel assume a higher profile. Businesses, operators, manufacturers and government are all taking steps - or claim to be taking steps - to reduce their impact.
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