Aviation White Paper
In December 2003, the Government published its Aviation White Paper, setting out plans for the next 30 years - in full knowledge, but complete ignorance of aviation's downsides.
The White Paper was a shock for green campaigners and even the aviation industry was surprised by the scale of growth the Government supports. At least four new runways will be built within the next 25 years: a second at Stansted in 2011 - 2012 and a third runway and a possible Terminal 6 at Heathrow in 2015 - 2020 subject to environmental conditions concerning noise and air pollution. If Heathrow cannot fulfill the conditions, the building will happen at Gatwick, so either way it will be built. Birmingham and Edinburgh will also get new runways.
Manchester Airport, by far the largest airport outside the South East, is subject to massive development too. It does not need a new runway until 2015 but aims to double passenger numbers within the next 10 years and is likely to reach runway and terminal capacity constraints by then. The Government made clear it supports the principle of developing terminal capacity at Manchester Airport, subject to noise pollution, and significant work to improve surface access.
Manchester FoE will watch these developments closely and continue to campaign for more sustainable air travel and alternatives.
The growth in air transport, predicted in the Aviation White Paper, will make it impossible for the Government to meet its long-term target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 compared with 1990 levels. The release of greenhouse gases from aircraft is especially damaging as it causes three times the global warming of emissions released at ground level.
Instead of embracing a policy of demand management, the Government has chosen to accept and meet growth forecasts that will lead to severe environmental damage. The Government's own modelling shows that making the aviation industry pay fuel tax and VAT - which it currently does not - would remove the need for new airports or runways before 2030, at no extra real cost to the passenger.
What would a sustainable Aviation White Paper have looked like?
If the Government was serious about producing a genuinely sustainable aviation policy for the next 30 years its White Paper would contain serious measures such as:
- Measures to manage demand for air travel, just as the Government recognises the need to manage demand for road space;
- Absolute protection for people and their environment for example by ensuring that no airport expansion scheme breaches air quality or noise standards;
- Setting legal environmental limits around airports and airport operations for example on the amount of pollution generated, land taken, road traffic generated etc.;
- No loss of designated wildlife sites or heritage buildings;
- Taking firm steps at UK, European and international level to end aviation's privileged tax free status;
- Examining ways of broadening the economies of the UK region's in ways that make them less dependent on unsustainable aviation and airport expansion schemes;
- Giving local communities a proper say in the way airports operate and ending the current vague and ineffective system of community consultation panels.