Can flying ever be climate friendly?

Since the 1990s, air flight has made the world a smaller place.
In one 24-hour period you can fly to the other end of the globe.
In an hour you might be able to skip the traffic and fly to the
other end of your country.


But this convenience comes at a cost….to the climate. Aviation
accounts for somewhere between 2 to 5% of the world’s emissions.
And as the world’s desire to travel proves insatiable, the number
of planes in the sky each day is only increasing.


The aviation industry has aspirational plans to decarbonise using
sustainable and/or synthetic aviation fuels. But these are
currently some way off. In the meantime, airlines are offering
carbon offsets. Offsets are controversial products and only 1% of
passengers pay for them. So, this week on The Climate Question we
are asking, can flying ever be climate friendly?


Presenters Neal Razzell and Merlyn Thomas speak with the
following contributors: Jo Dardenne, Aviation Director at
Transport & Environment Souparna Lahiri, Climate Policy
Advisor with The Global Forest Coalition Simon Berrow, Chief
Executive Officer of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Joana
Setzer, Assistant Professor at the Grantham Research Institute on
Climate Change & the Environment, LSE Special thanks to Helen
Coffey, author of Zero Altitude: How I learned to fly less and
travel more Sebastian Mikosz of the International Air Transport
Association (IATA) The team this week: Reporters: Peter O’Connell
in Kilrush on the west coast of Ireland Researcher: Louise Parry
& Immy Rhodes Producer: Dearbhail Starr Series Producer: Alex
Lewis Production Coordinators: Iona Hammond & Siobhan Reed
Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Magician: Tom Brignell