LONDON (CU)_British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other world leaders who will be attending the UN climate talks later this year will be flown into the summit on “green flights” as part of the efforts to make the event as carbon neutral as possible, PoliticsHome reported.
The website said that leaked documents from the Department of Transport suggest that flights proposed for COP26 will be powered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is produced from sustainable feedstock such as plants and animal by-products. They are also said to be reducing carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent.
However, these plans will depend on if the event will take place in person. With many countries experiencing a rapid surge in COVID-19 infections, some facing a third wave of the pandemic, doubt has been cast over the possibility to having a face-to-face summit this November. Yet, sources say that PM Johnson does not intend to host the event digitally or to have it postponed. The Department for Transport documents also reveal that the government is working on hosting a physical event for up to 30,000 delegates.
PoliticsHome also said that according to the documents, Whitehall is discussing possible ways of making SAF available at UK airports in order to fly more than 60 heads of state to Scottish airports.
Another document dated 2 March says that the government is seeking to achieve three key outcomes, namely, reducing the carbon footprint of the COP, demonstrating viability of the SAF and providing a positive story of travel to and from the Conference.
While the government hopes to deliver SAF to aircrafts directly, they are also considering the option of a “book and claim” system, which is a process of off-setting by paying for the green fuel in another aircraft.
The documents also had also flagged the short distance of around 450 miles from the South of England to Scotland, the route which will be taken by the Prime Minister’s flight, which could in fact be covered by a train ride.
Meanwhile, Whitehall is said to be careful with how they execute the plan so as to avoid being criticised of “greenwashing”.
