Air travel

Air travel and climate change

Although aviation is a relatively small industry, it has a disproportionately large impact on the climate system. It accounts for four to nine per cent of the total climate change impact of human activity.

Since 1990, CO2 emissions from international aviation have increased 83 per cent.

Compared to other modes of transport, such as driving or taking the train, travelling by air has a greater climate impact per passenger kilometre.

Scientific studies have shown that these high-altitude emissions have a more harmful climate impact because they trigger a series of chemical reactions and atmospheric effects that have a net warming effect. The IPCC, for example, has estimated that the climate impact of aircraft is two to four times greater than the effect of their carbon dioxide emissions alone.

What's being done about emissions from air transportation?

Not much, unfortunately.

Reference

David Suzuki Foundation