Baker quizzes Miliband on Aviation, Energy and Climate Change (Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats)

Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats <info@hflibdems.org.uk>

Baker quizzes Miliband on Aviation, Energy and Climate Change

April 24, 2009 10:50 AM
Originally published by Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats

Dinti Batstone and Susan Kramer under the Heathrow flight path

• Norman Baker (Lewes, Liberal Democrat): ' . . GIVEN the entirely unnecessary expansion of Heathrow, and given that transport is the only sector in which carbon emissions have increased since 1990, is it not time that the Secretary of State had a word with the Secretary of State for Transport and told him to stop derailing his climate change strategy?'

The Secretary of State has made the courageous and correct decision to set a target of 80 per cent. for carbon reduction emissions by 2050. Unfortunately, however, if aviation is to return its emissions to their current levels by that date, all other sectors will be required to make an 89 per cent. cut to cater for it. Given that fact, given the entirely unnecessary expansion of Heathrow, and given that transport is the only sector in which carbon emissions have increased since 1990, is it not time that the Secretary of State had a word with the Secretary of State for Transport and told him to stop derailing his climate change strategy?

Edward Miliband (Secretary of State, Department for Energy and Climate Change; Doncaster North, Labour): Surprisingly enough, I do not see it that way. [Hon. Members: "Yes, you do!"] Let us not turn this into a pantomime, but no, I don't.

There is a respectable position with which I disagree: the hon. Gentleman's position, which is that we should make across-the-board cuts of 80 per cent. in every sector. In the case of aviation, that would mean returning to 1974 flying levels. I do not think Members could truthfully say that we have those levels now.

As was pointed out by the Committee on Climate Change itself, when it comes to decarbonisation it is inevitable that bigger cuts will be possible in some sectors than in others. I believe that we have been incredibly forward-thinking in making the ambitious commitment, on which the committee will advise us by the end of the year, to return aviation emissions to their current levels-to enable aviation to consume its own smoke, as it were.

Of course there must be a price for carbon emissions from aviation. That is what the EU emissions trading strategy does. I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman and I will have to agree to disagree on this matter.