Reach for the sky: aviation emissions in Climate Bill

The government has backed down on aviation and shipping, agreeing to include both in the Climate Change Bill's 80% emissions reduction targets. They had planned to let the industry grow as much as it liked while cracking down on other sectors, but changed their mind when faced with a major backbench rebellion.

So in theory aviation emissions will have to reduce by 80% - and, as there are no sustainable fuels in the pipeline, that should mean a lot fewer flights. The problem is that like all good Labour projects, there'll be plenty of creative accounting. This time its a cunning plan to let the UK buy other countries' emissions reductions off them, perhaps by taking a bunch of greener lightbulbs and handing them out around the world. This, frankly, is cheating.

If sustainable lifestyles are so great (and believe me, they are) then we should be rushing to adopt them, not paying other (poorer) nations to. Obviously if Ghana wants to reduce its emissions then great, but their emissions aren't the problem. It's our addiction to carbon-heavy lifestyles - and our factories in China making plastic tat for us to buy - that's causing climate change, and it's about time we recognised this and stopped trying to buy our way out of the problem.

Although from what I hear the pound isn't worth anything any more, so it might be cheaper for us to just get on with making those cuts after all...