A love for flying and a career as an airline pilot turned into anxiety about aviation’s environmental impact. After working for easyJet, concerns about the climate crisis led to the decision to leave the industry in 2022. UK flights produced 29.6 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022, projected to rise. Emissions reduction targets by aviation companies over the past 25 years have mostly been missed. Airlines prioritize profit over necessary emissions reductions, with minimal government regulation to compel change.
In 2022, the UK's domestic and international flights produced 29.6m tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions, accounting for about 7% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions.
The emissions problem stems from an even bigger problem. In the past 25 years, all but one emissions reduction and efficiency targets set by individual aviation companies were missed and quietly abandoned.
Aviation has a gigantic emissions problem, projected to account for 11% of UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, while other sectors are decarbonising.
Airlines fight to outcompete each other on profit. They lobby governments to avoid the necessary measures to reduce emissions and protect the industry long-term.
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