In the average emissions from a Swedish inhabitants, the flights corresponded to 1.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person per year, about five times higher than the global average, which is 0.2 tons per person. It shows a new study by researchers at the Chalmers has done on behalf of the environmental protection agency.
it shows that The Swedish citizens travelling by air has risen sharply since the beginning of the 1990s. Domestic remains at approximately the same level, while trips abroad since then has doubled from 0.5 trips per person per year to one trip per person per year by 2017. There is an annual increase of 2.9 per cent.
for air travel increased during the same period, with approximately 47 per cent and in 2017 approximately 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. It is about as much as emitted from private cars for a year.
The large increase in emissions from the airline industry came mainly in the 1990s. Later has the new technology and that the aircraft, filled with passengers made to the emissions per person have declined by an average of 1.9 per cent per year.
This has meant that emissions from air transport have not increased significantly during the 2000s, according to the report.
– the Reduction in emissions per person in Sweden has been very high, it is due to half of that utilization has increased, filling the cabin with more people, ” says Jörgen Larsson, a researcher at Chalmers university of technology, who has written the report together with Anneli Kamb.
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points out that many efficiency improvements are now made, and if air travel continues to increase, so the risk of emissions to increase.
” It is a challenge for the industry. The coating can not be more than 100 per cent, in the length you need to find other ways to achieve a reduction. In relation to the net emissions of greenhouse gases need to be completely so it is a concern.
According to Jörgen Larsson is a great risk that the emissions from air transport increases in the future. The airline industry’s goal is to reduce emissions by an average of 1.5% per year, at the same time, so does the flying right now with 3 per cent per year.
– Many researchers point out that the low-hanging fruit when it comes to emission reductions already have been plucked while the radical technological shift is many decades. Biofuel is lifted often raised in the context however, the availability of biofuel with a low carbon footprint is limited, ” says Jörgen Larsson.
the emissions from the Swedish people flying 90 grams of carbon dioxide per person and kilometer. But aviation’s impact on climate is amplified greatly by the discharges that occur at high altitude, if they counted the emissions are around 170 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per passenger kilometre.
for example, This means that a return trip to the Spanish Malaga causes the emission of approximately 1 tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent while the tour and enter to thai Phuket causes the emission of 3 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
– If you do not want to refrain from flying, you can choose a closer destination. To go to Thailand cause twice as many emissions as to go to Egypt, ” says Jörgen Larsson.
– It is still not a sustainable vacationing, but for some people, not everything can imagine more radical changes can be an option, ” says Jörgen Larsson.
the Researchers believe that it needed very strong measures and policy instruments on aviation emissions will reduce in line with the two degree target.
