Scottish travellers key polluters

The government of Scotland has been trying to reduce carbon emission levels, however high levels of international travel by its citizens is making it increasingly difficult for the country to meet environmental goals.

A new study has charted predicted increases in airport traffic in Scotland. While government ministers are trying to reduce climate pollution by 80 per cent by 2050, the number of flights from the country are likely to make that goal impossible.

Scotland has 15 major airports which handle approximately 25 million passengers annually. The majority of travellers fly through four main airports. Nine million passengers use Edinburgh airport every year, 8.8 million fly from Glasgow, 3.4 million from Aberdeen and 2.4 million use Pretwick.

By 2010, the number of passengers flying from Scotland is expected to increase to 30 million. By 2030, that number is pegged at 50 million and by 2050, 120 million people are predicted to be flying from Scotland.

The World Development Movement (WDM) predicts that these passenger number increases could increase the level of carbon dioxide pollution in Scotland from 10 million to 16 million tones, making it the top polluter, generating more carbon dioxide than agriculture, vehicles or other industries.

“It is absolutely vital that the Scottish government includes emissions from aviation in the Scottish climate change bill from the outset,” said Liz Murray, WDM’s head of campaigns in Scotland.

“By excluding aviation, it risks completely cancelling out action taken to reduce emissions in all other sectors of Scottish society and making the bill completely ineffective. Scotland owes it to those in the poorest countries, who are already feeling the devastating effects of climate change, to make this bill work.”