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APD hike could damage the environment, warns TMC
The doubling of air passenger duty may spell the end of carbon offset schemes among large companies, Portman Travel has warned.
With the increase due to come into force on February 1, Portman marketing and development director Bob Govan said the hike might actually have a detrimental impact on the environment.
“The Treasury justified the hike on environmental grounds, but it has not identified environmental schemes which will benefit directly from the increase in duty,” he said.
“My fear is that large business travel users will be unwilling to continue funding voluntary carbon offset schemes when the new duty comes into effect and companies considering joining these schemes will decide against it.
“The duty rise is unlikely to reduce the volume of business travel, but it may damage schemes which directly offset the environmental impact that business travel causes.”
Portman launched its carbon-offset scheme Portman Forest last year in partnership with the Carbon Neutral Company.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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