The carbon cost of each flight could soon be revealed
It follows a campaign by the group Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions
Airlines could soon be forced to reveal the environmental cost of each flight.
The Department for Transport says it is working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on the benefits of “mandating the provision of environmental information to customers”.
It follows a campaign launched by the group Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE), who met with the government and various airports across the country trying to convince them to show passengers how much each flight would damage the planet.
Sally Pavey, Chair of CAGNE, says: "Very similar to the details you'll find on a packet of cigarettes, or your sandwich if it's got nut content, or even if you buy a refrigerator, it tells you and it informs you. That's what our campaign was about, informing. Because if you're informed then you can make a balanced decision".
The campaign group also says they'll be writing to the government asking that the amount of carbon released be detailed in such a way that the consumer can liken it to taking a shower.
Sally says that's the best way to do it: "I think if you relate it to something you do on a daily basis, it becomes real to you. To say one million tonnes of carbon, a million sounds a lot but in relation to, I don't know. So I think you have to give some examples and relate it to something that people actually understand".