This month, Professor Rob Miller was questioned by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) for its inquiry into UK airport expansion and the Government’s climate and nature targets. The EAC also published written evidence provided by the AIA.
The inquiry comes at a crucial time. The UK Government has signalled its support for expanding UK airports, including the extension at Heathrow Airport and Luton Airport, and at the same time has committed to delivering expansion in line with its environmental and climate obligations. The Committee is examining whether this expansion can be achieved in line with these goals, and how technologies, policy, and operational choices can mitigate the sector’s wider environmental impact.
Aviation is one of the UK’s most challenging sectors to decarbonise. In 2023, it made up around 8% of the UK’s emissions, and on its current trajectory, the sector is projected to account for 39% of emissions by 2050. The AIA’s evidence focused on using this spotlight on the sector to accelerate the pace of action across all areas of aviation climate action. Rob made the case for urgent action on two of the biggest opportunities for the UK:
✈️ Contrail Mitigation – The UK to show global leadership by launching, within the next year, a large-scale airspace trial to test operational strategies for reducing contrails. This offers a low-cost, high-impact intervention that could deliver climate benefits well before new aircraft technologies arrive.
🚀 Transformative Technologies – The UK Government to invest in bold demonstrator programmes for moonshot technologies: cryogenic hydrogen and methane fuels, hydrogen-electric propulsion, and even synthetic biology for fuel production. At a relatively low cost this offers a once in generation opportunity to for the UK to build the industries of the future.’
About the Environmental Audit Committee
The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is a select committee of the UK House of Commons. It is an independent parliamentary body that scrutinises how well government departments and public bodies perform in delivering on sustainable development and environmental protection.
The EAC plays a key role in holding Ministers and institutions to account.
Watch the Session
The full oral evidence session, featuring Professor Rob Miller alongside other expert witnesses, is available to watch here: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/08408cdb-3838-48d2-a655-3fd9c35c6d3a
For more details on the inquiry, visit the official inquiry page
