UK accused of ignoring obligations on aviation emissions

(The Guardian, 27 Jun 2019) NGOs say others also in breach of 1998 convention by failing to disclose details on policies.

The UK and other EU governments are in breach of international obligations by failing to be open about their policies to tackle emissions from aviation, a coalition of NGOs has said.

The group is lodging a formal complaint over the secrecy surrounding regulation of emissions from international flights, which they say allows the aviation industry to be a “climate laggard”. Last year, aviation emitted 895m tonnes of carbon dioxide – 2.4% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, according to Carbon Brief. If aviation were a country it would be the sixth biggest emitter in the world.

But the UK and other EU governments are in breach of international obligations relating to the release of environmental information because they are failing to disclose details on cutting emissions, say the NGOs which are part of the International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation. The Aarhus convention, which was agreed in 1998, enshrines the right for everyone to receive environmental information held by public authorities.

The parties to the convention are required to make the necessary provisions so that public authorities contribute to these rights to make them effective.

The coalition of NGOs will raise its complaints on Thursday at a meeting of the working group of members of the convention in Geneva.

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The Guardian, 27 Jun 2019: UK accused of ignoring obligations on aviation emissions