As many as six out of 10 people would be prepared to fly less in the next year to help tackle climate change, a survey suggests.
Two thirds would be willing to pay extra to “offset” the pollution caused by their European return flights – which green campaigners say costs less than £5.
Environmentalists claim the findings of the poll put pressure on governments and aviation industry leaders to find solutions to the greenhouse gases caused by flying as they gather for a major meeting on the issue.
The poll of 2,089 people for conservation charity WWF found that 60% of people would be willing to cut back on flying in the next year to tackle climate change – excluding those who were already doing so or for whom it was not applicable.
The figure was higher than those who were willing to cut back on driving (47%) or on eating meat (49%), while 70% were prepared to buy fewer new gadgets.
When told that offsetting a European return flight’s pollution would cost £5 or less on top of their ticket, 67% of people quizzed in the Populus poll said they would be willing to pay the charge.
The world’s first comprehensive climate change deal was secured in Paris in December, but while it commits nations to cutting greenhouse gas emissions it does not directly deal with international flights as they occur between countries not within them.
The proposal on the table at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) meeting in Montreal, Canada, is an offsetting scheme which will require airlines to invest in carbon reduction projects for every tonne of carbon dioxide they emit above 2020 levels.
But WWF said questions still remained unanswered ahead of the meeting, including what the rules would look like, which countries would be covered and what would be done about biofuels.
WWF-UK chief executive David Nussbaum said: “The most straightforward way to reduce emissions from aviation is to fly less, so it is encouraging that 60% of Britons are prepared to do just that.”
He said governments and airlines needed to take on board that people could be willing to turn away from flying to using rail and videoconferencing, when looking for solutions.
He said: “Paying for their pollution won’t bankrupt airlines or their passengers.
“Most people don’t realise that it costs less than £5 per person to offset the carbon dioxide from a European flight, even with high quality ’gold standard’ carbon credits, and yet two thirds are willing to pay that price.
“That should give governments worldwide the confidence to sign up to an ambitious emissions reduction scheme from day one and set their airlines en route to a sustainable future.”
WWF wants to see a strong deal that only backs offset schemes and alternative fuels which achieve real cuts in emissions and support sustainable development.
According to the conservation charity the average cost of offsetting a typical return flight to Europe is just £1.60.
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