UN climate expert urges switch to video
A United Nations scientist has told UK businesses they must fly less and instead use video conferencing to help fight climate change.
Speaking via video link to the All-party Parliamentary Sustainable Aviation Group in Westminster, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said: ‘The transport sector contributes substantially to emissions of greenhouse gases, and in some parts of the world it represents 40% of total emissions.
‘One important contributor to this source is the growth in civil aviation across the globe. A focused effort to shift business travel for conferences and meetings of all types to video-based communication would be of great benefit in reducing and controlling the growth of emissions from aviation.'
The Group also heard details of the World Wide Fund for Nature's ‘Travelling Light' campaign, which aims to encourage businesses to cut one in five flights, together with video conferencing case studies from the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), construction company Skanska and management consultancy Accenture.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester, chairman of the All-party Parliamentary Sustainable Aviation Group, commented: ‘There's no doubt that the latest video conferencing technology can play a significant role in controlling and reducing the carbon footprint of business travel.
‘As Dr Pachauri has said, changing behaviour is vital - cutting one in five flights, the central theme of the WWF-UK campaign, is an entirely realistic way forward, environmentally and economically. So too is taking the train whenever possible.'
Jeff Gazzard, AEF board member, added: ‘The Government's entire ‘predict and provide' policy of unrestrained aviation growth is incompatible with our carbon reduction targets. And many businesses around the world are too busy flying towards a climate crisis at 500 miles per hour to even stop and think.
‘But a calm and serious examination of the green and productivity benefits of cutting flights and using video conferencing instead is absolutely vital. We will be making sure companies get the message.'
The London-based AEF is a not-for-profit association that aims to promote ‘a relationship between the environment and aviation in which the detrimental effects of aviation on quality of life and on the natural and man-made environment are kept to a minimum'.
Its 120+ members include community and environmental groups, local authorities, parish councils, businesses and consultancies and individuals.
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