Webdesk: France has taken a major step towards reducing carbon emissions by banning domestic short-haul flights where trains are available.
After two years of legislative approval, the law targets routes that can be completed by train in two-and-a-half hours. Thus, flights between Paris and Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux are almost nonexistent. Connecting flights unaffected.
Critics say the move may be symbolic rather than substantive. Interim Airlines for Europe (A4E) CEO Laurent Donceel doubted the ban would reduce CO2 emissions. He said “banning these trips will only have minimal effects” and advised governments to embrace concrete and major remedies.
Flights globally have dropped due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Flightradar24, a renowned aircraft tracking company, estimated a 42% drop in flights in 2020 compared to 2019.
Despite airlines’ challenges, President Emmanuel Macron’s 2019 Citizens’ Convention on Climate, composed of 150 citizens, suggested eliminating plane journeys where train options under four hours. However, Air France-KLM and several areas objected, reducing the time limit to two-and-a-half hours.
Because planes emit more carbon than railways, short-haul flights banned. According to French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir, airlines produce 77 times more CO2 per passenger than railways on equivalent routes.
With a 40-minute time difference, the rail option is cheaper and greener. The consumer organisation also demanded safeguards to prevent the French state train, SNCF, from increasing costs or lowering service quality.
France’s restriction on domestic short-haul flights with train options reduces carbon emissions. Its impact on CO2 reduction and aviation still debated.
