Scrapping business class could halve aviation emissions

AIR travel is famously one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and the number of air passengers keeps increasing. Electric planes and sustainable aviation fuels are still a long way off making a dent in the industry’s emissions – if they ever will.

But new research shows aviation could still cut its climate impact dramatically, simply by using planes more efficiently.

Aviation is responsible for 2 to 3 per cent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but its contribution to global warming is about 4 per cent when secondary effects such as condensation trails (which trap heat) are factored in. This impact is dominated by rich people flying frequently, often long-haul in business and first class or even private.