Aviation 'one of the fastest sources of CO2 emissions'

An environmental group has described aviation as one of the leading causes of CO2 emissions that reduce air quality and cause climate change.

Friends of the Earth has urged the government to abandon plans to expand airports and instead invest in more environmentally-friendly forms of transport, such as rail links.

It also said ministers should include Britain's share of international aviation emissions in its targets as part of its proposed climate change legislation.

Tony Bosworth, transport campaigner at the charity, said: "Cheap air travel is costing the Earth."

He added that the cost of flying should take into account the damage done to air quality and the planet.

Research from WWF reveals that aviation could account for anything between 50 and 100 per cent of the carbon budget of the UK by 2050.

It noted that if a fifth of business travellers used video conferencing rather than flights, around 22 million tonnes of CO2 would be saved each year.