We have just added the latest in a series of EU Staff for Climate position papers: this time, the spotlight is on aviation.

We are deeply concerned about the climate, ecological and social crises that our planet is facing. These crises are now compounded by war (Ukraine, Palestine, Congo) and a worrying surge in climate change scepticism, and a geo-political reshuffle.

We risk becoming distracted and looking away from the climate emergency. We must not lose time; we must continue our climate efforts.

Aviation is obviously a sector of high concern as it is both unequal and extremely damaging for the climate. This is why today, with our 5th position paper, we want to advocate for the EU to pursue solutions and incentives that will help us transition away from aviation to safer, more equal and more sustainable modes of transport.

A shift away from aviation would not only be good for the climate, but would also support regional trade, local tourism, local industries and regional cohesion. Crucially, it would further reduce Europe’s dependency on fossil fuels and accelerate its transition towards carbon neutrality.

We invite you to read our position paper titled ‘Just and Sustainable EU Transport Systems: The case of aviation’.