London is most exposed city in world to air pollution from aviation, study finds
The planes taking off and landing at London’s six airports expose the city’s inhabitants to the equivalent of 3.23m cars’ worth of harmful nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions every year. In Tokyo and Dubai, residents are exposed to 2.78m cars’ worth of emissions from air traffic. These three cities are the world’s worst affected by air pollution from aviation, according to new research tracking the air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions of cargo and passenger flights from airports around the world. It found the largest 20 airports, taken together, produced as much carbon emissions as 58 coal-fired power stations. “Pollution around airports is growing year on year,” said Jo Dardenne, the aviation director at Transport & Environment, the thinktank which helped produce the research. “It affects millions of people, who breathe in toxic emissions and develop health conditions as a result, yet policymakers are brushing the problem under the carpet. “Exponential growth of the sector and airports is incompatible with their climate goals, especially considering the slow uptake of clean technologies. The sector led us to believe that they would bounce back better after the pandemic. They’ve certainly bounced back – but without action, the sector’s climate and health impact isn’t going to get any better.” The 2024 Airport Tracker, produced by the global affairs thinktank ODI in partnership with T&E, updates research first published in 2021. For the first time it includes the carbon impacts of air freight as well as passenger flights, covering the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from 1,300 airports.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-02-28/general/london-is-most-exposed-city-in-world-to-air-pollution-from-aviation-study-finds
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London is most exposed city in world to air pollution from aviation, study finds
The planes taking off and landing at London’s six airports expose the city’s inhabitants to the equivalent of 3.23m cars’ worth of harmful nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions every year. In Tokyo and Dubai, residents are exposed to 2.78m cars’ worth of emissions from air traffic. These three cities are the world’s worst affected by air pollution from aviation, according to new research tracking the air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions of cargo and passenger flights from airports around the world. It found the largest 20 airports, taken together, produced as much carbon emissions as 58 coal-fired power stations. “Pollution around airports is growing year on year,” said Jo Dardenne, the aviation director at Transport & Environment, the thinktank which helped produce the research. “It affects millions of people, who breathe in toxic emissions and develop health conditions as a result, yet policymakers are brushing the problem under the carpet. “Exponential growth of the sector and airports is incompatible with their climate goals, especially considering the slow uptake of clean technologies. The sector led us to believe that they would bounce back better after the pandemic. They’ve certainly bounced back – but without action, the sector’s climate and health impact isn’t going to get any better.” The 2024 Airport Tracker, produced by the global affairs thinktank ODI in partnership with T&E, updates research first published in 2021. For the first time it includes the carbon impacts of air freight as well as passenger flights, covering the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from 1,300 airports.<br/>
