Air passengers face having a carbon charge added to the price of tickets automatically under government plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Ministers are considering measures that would require all airlines to introduce carbon offsetting payments at the point of ticket sale.
Payments would be voluntary but could work on an “opt-out” system. Similar measures could also be applied to trains, buses and ferries.
A flight between London and New York could increase by just under £30, falling to half that when travelling with the most fuel-efficient airlines. A journey between London and Madrid could rise by an estimated £5.
The plan was outlined as part of proposed reforms to raise public awareness of the carbon emissions released by different modes of transport while increasing payments to offset their impact. It raises the prospect that transport operators will have to give passengers information about levels of carbon dioxide associated with each journey when tickets are purchased.
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The government said it was hoped that this would “drive consumer choices towards less polluting journey options”. A public “call for evidence” runs until the end of September.
Last month the government outlined a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Britain to almost zero by 2050 as part of a plan to tackle climate change. Britain was the first advanced nation to propose the target.
Under the “net-zero” plan, emissions from homes, transport, farming and industry would have to be avoided altogether, or investment would be made in environmental projects to balance out Britain’s carbon footprint.
Transport accounted for about a third of Britain’s CO2 emissions last year. Recent research has found, however, that only half of airlines give passengers the opportunity to offset CO2. The BBC reported that take-up among passengers was typically as low as 1 per cent. Offsetting cash is usually spent on planting trees or installing solar panels. Ryanair is among airlines that run an offsetting scheme. British Airways does not run a specific scheme but does allow passengers to donate to carbon reduction projects.
The report by the Department for Transport said: “One way to increase uptake could be to follow an opt-out rather than opt-in model, under which the cost of offsetting carbon emissions would be automatically included for consumers.”
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Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, said: “An offsetting scheme could help inform travellers about how much carbon their journey produces and provide the opportunity to fund schemes, like tree planting, to compensate.”
He is likely to be moved out of the department by Theresa May’s successor but the review will continue.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said: “UK airlines are committed to decarbonising aviation and are working with government to [introduce] new greener technologies, including more efficient aircraft and engines, sustainable aviation fuels and vital airspace modernisation.”
Going green
A number of airlines already give passengers the chance to offset the carbon dioxide produced by their flight. It is believed that almost half have their own carbon offset scheme — asking passengers to make a voluntary contribution to environmental projects when they buy a ticket.
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There are also independent companies that passengers can use to invest in projects designed to reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the air by the same amount as used in their flight. According to Atmosfair, a German charity offering carbon offsets, the average airline passenger travelling one-way between London and Palma in Majorca will be responsible for an average of 316kg of CO2. It suggests a £7 donation to offset the impact, which would be spent on schemes such as planting trees.
