easyJet makes environmental pledges

Budget carrier easyJet has published an environmental code pledging to be more efficient in the air and on the ground.

The three “promises” are claimed to help balance aviation’s social and economic contribution with its impact on climate change.

The first promise reflects easyJet’s current environmental credentials; while the second and third outline the full and leading role the airline claims it can play to improve the environmental performance of the industry.

Chief executive Andy Harrison, speaking as the airline published its Corporate and Social Responsibility Report, called for a “proper debate of the sort that has been largely missing of late”.

He said: “Given that aviation CO2 only accounts for 1.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, grounding every aircraft in the world would have a miniscule impact on climate change yet a vast impact on our economies.

“So, airlines have a responsibility to do what they can and governments have a responsibility to ensure that their policies incentivise the right behaviour.”

He added: “The same business model which gives us low fares (new aircraft, high occupancy rates, direct flights) also gives us environmental efficiency in the skies – easyJet emits 27% fewer greenhouse gasses per passenger kilometre than a traditional airline on an identical route. In addition we recognise that we can and we will expect more of our ground suppliers at airports.

“We also intend to play a leading role in improving the future environmental performance of our industry – reforming Europe’s famously-inefficient air traffic system, implementing a meaningful European emissions trading scheme, working on the next generation of aircraft, giving customers the most comprehensive range of environmental information available for travel to a particular destination, and helping them to offset the carbon emissions of their flight.”

Harrison said: “I believe that we are on the cusp of major advances in aircraft and engine technologies which will lead to dramatic reductions in emissions, which have not yet been factored into the environmental forecasts about our industry.

“In the meantime airlines have an obligation to maximise their environmental efficiency (particularly by operating the cleanest available technology). For their part, governments must ensure their policies balance the vast economic and social benefits of flying with its impact on climate change, particularly by mandating minimum environmental standards for aircraft to operate in Europe.

“Governments should also recognise that some airlines are already more efficient than others – something that the UK’s Air Passenger Duty dramatically fails to do.

“APD provides no incentive for airlines to operate the cleanest aircraft; it completely omits airfreight and private jets; the proceeds are not allocated to any scheme to improve the environment; and it is disproportionate – on a UK domestic return flight, the £20 APD is now 25% of the average fare and about 10 times the cost of off-setting the carbon emitted on an easyJet flight.

“Surely, it would be better to incentivise consumers to choose airlines, like easyJet, operating the cleanest aircraft available. In fact, last year we removed 22 older aircraft at a cost of over £275 million as part of our drive for efficiency and in the coming four years we will buy 100 brand-new Airbus A319s – surely this substitution is the very definition of the ‘Green growth’ that was foreseen in The Stern Review.”

by Phil Davies