The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) plans to publish a policy framework on providing environmental information to consumers at the point of booking flights in the spring.
This follows a consultation on draft principles for aviation consumer environmental information which closed in mid-October.
CAA head of sustainability Harry Armstrong told a Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum on UK aviation decarbonisation: “We need to ensure we provide robust, transparent information [and] the CAA is looking to finalise its policy framework on this in the spring.”
The CAA would “set out a roadmap”, he said, noting: “The EU has also launched a consultation on methodologies for reporting [aviation] emissions and is looking at a kitemark [to provide] information at the point of booking.”
The authority is poised to publish the results of its latest survey on consumer attitudes to sustainability and the impact of flying.
Armstrong said: “Environmental issues are growing on the consumer agenda, but that does not translate into action. Consumers see this as an industry and government issue. They are not a massive driver of change.”
He added: “My personal view is we need to be careful about putting too much responsibility on consumers. They are not people with extensive knowledge and information on this [able] to make complicated decisions.”
Armstrong told the summit that the programme to modernise UK domestic airspace, confirmed by the government last October, could result in a 4%-5% reduction in aviation emissions overall but could “also facilitate more flights”, meaning growth in capacity.
He described it as “a huge programme of work” and, on the balance between facilitating more flights and reducing emissions overall, said: “There is a balance to be struck. Where we end up will be an ongoing issue.”