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Ryanair is the ‘new coal’
Ryanair has been described as the ‘new coal’ after it was identified as one of Europe’s top 10 carbon emitters.
Emissions Trading Statistics analysed by Brussels-based research group Transport & Environment put Ryanair in a list previously exclusively occupied by coal plants.
It found Ryanair’s carbon dioxide emissions rose 6.9% last year while carbon emissions for airlines overall grew 4.9% within Europe.
In contrast, carbon emissions in other sectors in the EU fell 3.9%.
In the last five years, carbon pollution from flying in Europe has risen 26.3%, far outpacing any other kind of transport.
"When it comes to climate, Ryanair is the new coal," said Andrew Murphy, aviation manager at T&E.
"This trend will only continue until Europe realises that this undertaxed and under-regulated sector needs to be brought into line, starting with a tax on kerosene and the introduction of mandates that force airlines to switch to zero-emission jet fuel.
"Aviation is Europe’s biggest climate failure. The worst thing we can do in response is to put all our hopes in an offsetting scheme that gives airlines a license to grow indefinitely. But that is exactly what airlines have cooked up at the industry-dominated UN aviation agency. The time has come for a big change in Europe’s aviation policy."
A spokesman for Ryanair said: "Ryanair is Europe’s greenest and cleanest airline. Passengers travelling on Ryanair have the lowest CO2 emissions per km travelled than any other airline."
He also sent a link for further information.
The emissions report was published as Ryanair and its Austrian subsidiary Lauda reported a 9% rise in March traffic year on year and a 9% rise in annual rolling traffic to 142.1 million passengers.
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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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