1:59pm Thursday 24th August 2006
By Vikki Thomas
A tax on air fuel should be imposed if we are to halt the amount of environmental damage caused by aeroplanes, Sutton's lead councillor for the environment has claimed.
Colin Hall's comments came in the same week that a committee of MPs criticised the Department for Transport in a report for adopting a fatalistic attititude towards cutting emissions caused by increased travel.
The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee said that transport was the only sector of the UK economy where carbon emissions have risen consistently since 1990. And the report claimed emissions from air traffic have doubled over that time.
In a bid to reduce the problem, duty should be paid per flight not per passenger, the MPs agreed.
Mr Hall said: "A tax on air fuel would be fairer than what we have now, where each passenger has to pay their charge. A tax on the fuel would be an incentive for operators to fill their planes up. The Government has not really taken action where it should have done.
"Planes which travel at 30,000 feet and above do a massive amount of damage and we all need to understand the true cost."
Mr Hall added that he is keen to see a carbon allowance introduced which would mean each person is allowed to produce a certain amount of C02 emissions. If the account holder wishes to "overspend" they will have to buy credit.
"I think you only achieve things through behaviour change," he said. "People need to pay for the damage they are doing."
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