What's the impact of flying now and in the future?

Finding out the true impact of flying on the climate is pretty confusing. That's because it depends on who you ask and how you look at it. Environmental campaigners, business people and governments all have a slightly different answer. Just how 'bad' the impact of flying is currently depends on whether you look at it on a global, national or personal level. So let's break it down...

The personal picture

UK average personal carbon emissions Source: Department for Trade and Industry, 2005

Flying - even if it is something you do maybe just once a year - can make a big difference to your own carbon footprint. On average in the UK we take about two flights a year. And our holiday flights account for about 12% of our personal emissions. That's less than the emissions from heating, electricity or travelling about by car.

However, if you fly frequently, and if you fly long haul, it can have a huge impact on increasing your personal contribution to climate change. One return flight from London to Florida accounts for about 15% of the average person's yearly carbon footprint.

The UK's contribution

UK carbon emissions Source: Defra, 2007

We Brits love flying. We take around 234 million flights a year. We're especially fond of those tempting bargain flights and 1 in 5 of all international flights go via the UK - a huge number for a tiny country.

Still, flying only accounts for a small portion of the UK's current carbon emissions, compared to other industries and road transport.

The global context

Global carbon emissions Source: World Resources Institute, 2006

At a global level, the impact of flying on climate change seems pretty small as it makes up 2% of the world's greenhouse emissions.

That's a pretty small contribution in comparison to other carbon culprits such as generating electricity and heat, cutting down forests and road transport.

So what's all the fuss about?

Flying is not the biggest problem causing climate change at the moment especially when compared to other carbon culprits, but by 2050 experts are worried that it might be.

Global and UK growth

As more people fly, the impact of aviation on climate change is likely to account for 3% of global emissions by 2050. It might not seem much but the world's whole carbon footprint is increasing too, disguising the fact that aviation emissions will actually increase 3-fold from today's level.

Predicted growth of carbon emissions
Source: IPCC Special Report on Aviation and the Global Atmosphere, 1999

Predicted growth of UK carbon emissions
Source: Department for Transport, 2007

It's a particular problem for the UK. Flying is important for the UK economy, but the rising number of flights we're taking means we're having a greater impact on climate change than many other countries. Aviation could account for up to 21% of the UK's carbon emissions by 2050.

What's the solution?

The impact of air travel on climate change will increase as more and more people fly. Scientists and engineers can help by developing greener plane technology, and the aviation industry has set ambitious targets to reduce climate-changing emissions.

Find out how technology can help