Aviation and Sustainability

This 2004 policy paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute argues that the rapid growth of global aviation is unsustainable due to its significant contribution to climate change and local pollution. It highlights that aviation's radiative forcing makes its emissions three times more damaging than ground-level CO2 and criticizes government subsidies that artificially stimulate demand. The report recommends a shift toward demand management, including the internalisation of external costs, shifting short-haul passengers to rail, and implementing strict noise and emission limits at airports.

• Global aviation demand grew by 9 per cent per annum over the 50 years preceding the report, with projected growth of 3-7 per cent for the following 20 years. The number of aircraft is expected to nearly double by 2022, and the number of kilometres flown is projected to triple over 20 years.
• Aviation's impact on climate change is disproportionately high compared to its total greenhouse gas emissions. While responsible for 1-2 per cent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, its radiative forcing effect of 3 means emissions at altitude are approximately three times more damaging than those at ground level. By 2050, aviation could account for up to 15 per cent of the total contribution to climate change.
• Short-haul flights are the least fuel-efficient and produce the highest CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre. In Europe and North America, nearly three-quarters of new flight routes are under 2,000 km. For short trips, such as from London to Edinburgh, up to 25 per cent of fuel is consumed during take-off and landing.
• Aviation is heavily supported by government subsidies and fiscal advantages, which the report argues artificially stimulates demand and contradicts the 'polluter pays' principle. In the UK, aviation receives an annual subsidy of £9 billion, and globally it benefits from a lack of taxation on fuel.
• Aircraft noise remains a significant public health issue, affecting millions of people and impacting the cognitive development of children. In the UK, one in eight people is affected by aircraft noise. The report notes that while individual engine noise has decreased, the increase in flight volume has maintained high noise levels.
• The report proposes a demand management strategy based on three pillars: internalising external costs to ensure prices reflect ecological truth, shifting passengers from air to rail for journeys under 500km (which account for 45 per cent of EU flights), and substituting physical travel with electronic communication and videoconferencing.
• The report recommends several specific policy interventions for EU airports, including a total ban on night-time flights between 2300 and 0700 hours to protect health, and the adoption of an 'environmental bubble' concept to set quantitative limits on all aviation-related pollutants.
• The report argues that current government policies, such as the UK White Paper on aviation, prioritize capacity increase over demand management, which is incompatible with sustainable development. It suggests that climate change risks are economic risks, citing potential damages of $600 billion over 10 years from climate-related events.

APA

Whitelegg, J., & Cambridge, H. (2004). Aviation and Sustainability. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/aviation_sustainability.pdf

Chicago

Whitelegg, John, and Howard Cambridge. Aviation and Sustainability. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2004. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/aviation_sustainability.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Whitelegg |first1=John |last2=Cambridge |first2=Howard |title=Aviation and Sustainability |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=July 2004 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/aviation_sustainability.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{whitelegg2004aviation, author = {Whitelegg, John and Cambridge, Howard}, title = {{Aviation and Sustainability}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2004}, month = jul, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/aviation_sustainability.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }