Report says airlines' carbon emissions are growing
fast
U.S. airlines are increasing their emissions of
climate-changing gases much faster than they are boosting fuel efficiency,
according to an environmental group's report.
The International Council
on Clean Transportation said Thursday that carbon dioxide emissions and fuel
burning rose 7% from 2016 to 2018, overshadowing a 3% gain in fuel
efficiency.
The report's authors say airlines could reduce emissions and
fuel consumption more than 25% by buying newer planes and filling them with more
passengers.
The report ranked Frontier the most efficient among the 11
largest U.S. airlines. The Denver-based carrier has added more than 40 Airbus
jets with more efficient engines.
New York-based JetBlue ranked
last.
JetBlue spokeswoman Tamara Young said the airline's score dropped
because researchers considered seating density - JetBlue has fewer rows in coach
- and it burns fuel by operating more of its flights in congested areas like New
York. The airline has ordered more fuel-efficient Airbus jets.
The
transportation council is a nonprofit group that works with governments to set
fuel-economy standards and pushes for stricter regulations to limit pollution.
The council hired the researchers who uncovered Volkswagen's emissions
cheating.
A trade group for U.S. airlines disputed the environmental
group's findings.
"The fact is that the U.S. airline industry is a green
economic engine," said Airlines for America spokesman Carter Yang. "When you
look at the bigger picture, the U.S. carriers transported 42% more passengers
and cargo in 2018 than in 2000, and we did it with just a 3% increase in total
emissions."
Yang said airlines are investing in fuel-efficient planes and
developing alternative jet fuels. He called it "a record of sustainability to be
proud of."
Dan Rutherford, one of the report's authors, said airlines are
slowly boosting efficiency, but not enough to keep up with the growth in
travel.
"We are heading off an emissions cliff right now. This is
becoming even more urgent," he said.
Aviation accounts for a small but
rapidly growing share of greenhouse-gas emissions - about 2.5% worldwide.
Forecasters expect air travel to grow rapidly in the coming years. Without huge
strides in efficiency, aviation will fall short of contributing its share toward
meeting the Paris accord goals for reducing emissions and curbing climate
change, Rutherford said.
After terror attacks and recession led to big
losses from 2001 through 2009, U.S. airlines have turned hugely profitable in
recent years. They have spent billions to buy new planes, but they have also
used those planes to add scores of new flights that contribute to higher
emissions.
Reports like Thursday's could give a boost to flight shaming -
discouraging people from flying to avoid pumping more carbon into the
atmosphere.
"It's crazy that you can get all this data on the cost of
your ticket and amenities on your flight, but you have no information about how
carbon-intensive your flight is," Rutherford said.
The aviation body of
the United Nations has proposed putting limits on aircraft carbon emissions for
new plane models beginning next year and previous models still being produced in
2028. Many environmentalists consider the standards too weak.
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