Report “Aviation industry’s fossil-fuelled fantasies threaten livelihoods of world’s poor”

13th November, 2008

The UN World Tourism Day focused on climate change. A new report arguing that the economic case for airport expansion is unfounded, and international tourism is more of a risk than a benefit for developing nations, is therefore timely.

“A new report from nef (the new economics foundation) and the WDM (World Development Movement released today, Saturday 27 September, UN World Tourism Day, reveals that increased air travel and tourism leaves UK taxpayers out of pocket, and benefits multinational tour operators and hotel chains, rather than poor people. And, as the fastest-rising source of emissions in the UK, aviation is a significant contributor to climate change that threatens the survival of some of the world’s poorest communities least responsible for causing the problem, but living on its front line.”

“The new nef/WDM report, Plane Truths, exposes the ‘fossil-fuelled fantasies’ behind airline bosses and government ministers’ claims that continued growth of the aviation industry strengthens the UK economy, does not undermine the emissions reductions needed to avert catastrophic climate change and can play a positive role in the fight against global poverty.”

See Executive Summary of the report (Word doc) or visit nef web site.