MPs’ flights ‘pay for clean air’

The UK is set to announce a scheme to promote clean energy in developing countries by paying into a fund every time a minister or civil servant takes a trip by air.

The idea is to offset the climate change impact of the carbon dioxide emissions from flying
The scheme will begin next month in at least three departments – The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development (Dfid).

These are the major travellers and the fund from their flights could raise around £500,000 a year.

This is an excellent and innovative idea
John Gummer
The proceeds will be invested in projects such as solar cookers in India, home insulation in the townships of South Africa and micro-hydro in Sri Lanka.

An independent assessor will be asked to calculate the size of the payment based on the number of air miles flown and the altitude.

If planes fly higher, their emissions are believed to contribute more to climate change.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4316351.stm