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These European airports are among the world’s most polluting

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London, UK
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Fresh analysis shows how major airports contribute to climate change and air pollution, placing policymakers under further pressure to reconcile the conflict between the industry’s growth and their own climate goals.

A new analysis has shed light on just how much the world’s most bustling airports are contributing to climate change and air pollution.

The 2024 Airport Tracker is a collaborative effort between the think tank ODI and Transport & Environment and not only delves into the impact of passenger flights but also takes a look at air freight for the first time.

Coming out on top in terms of pollution is Dubai International Airport, with its 2019 emission levels sitting at the equivalent of five coal plants. It’s worth noting that this level may have increased in recent years, given that information from 2019 is the most recent data set available.

Across Europe, Amsterdam Schiphol, Frankfurt Airport, and Paris Charles de Gaulle find themselves among the global top 20 offenders. Still, it’s London that takes the cake for its high level of aviation-related air pollution.

Together, London’s six airports spewed out pollutants equivalent to 3.23 million cars. This amounts to a whopping 27 million tonnes of CO2, 8,900 tonnes of nitrogen oxide and 83 tonnes of fine particulate pollution.

It’s no wonder England’s capital city has become notorious for having the highest level of air pollution in the country.


Why should we care about emissions from airports?

The toll of all this pollution is not just negative for the environment, but also for humans. Last year, air pollution ranked as the fourth-largest health risk factor worldwide.

In the year 2019 – when most of the data was collected – air pollution claimed 6.7 million lives globally. Resolving this issue isn’t cheap either, with the economic impact of air pollution in Europe costing £166 billion in the year prior.

The latest analysis by Airport Tracker underscores the urgency of addressing emissions from air travel and builds a case for stronger measures to combat it, such as night flight bans and improvements in jet fuel quality.

As we’ve highlighted on Thred in recent months, both France and Spain are taking positive steps to promote train travel for shorter journeys as an alternative to flying – though environmentalists have debated the efficacy and overall impact of these laws.

No matter how small the impact, though, this is still great news considering air pollution continues to worsen year by year.

 

How the study will continue

In 2024, the Airport Tracker has continued to collect data on emissions from 1,300 airports.

The world’s largest 20 airports have emitted as much CO2 as 58 coal-fired power stations and churned out pollutants equivalent to 31 million passenger cars. It’s admittedly hard to conceptualise this, but it definitely doesn’t sound good.

In the end, policymakers are bearing the brunt of criticism, with experts saying they have overlooked the problem for far too long. Many have pointed out that the data emphasises just how incompatible the aviation sector’s growth is with our 2030 climate goals.

As for the aviation industry’s plans to curb emissions, the reliance on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) is under scrutiny. Currently, SAFs make up just 0.1% of all jet fuel used, with production needing a massive boost to make a dent in emissions.

Of course, emissions from airports will increase as travel does. This means the sector will continue to pose a risk to millions of people’s health and the planet’s climate – unless we begin to deploy SAFs and even electric-powered planes on a wider scale.

If experts could successfully turn oil from meals eaten at the Super Bowl into fuel for airplanes, why stop at doing this for one event a year?

Senior Writer & Media Coordinator London, UK

I’m Jessica (She/Her). I\\\’m the Deputy Editor & Content Partnership Manager at Thred. Originally from the island of Bermuda, I specialise in writing about ocean health and marine conservation, but you can also find me delving into pop culture, health and wellness, plus sustainability in the beauty and fashion industries. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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