We recognise the importance of continually reducing our environmental impact and we are only one of a small number of UK airports to have achieved level four-plus under the airport carbon accreditation programme.

That statement kind of contradicts their application to increase their emissions. They’re basically saying “we’re pretty low on emissions, we can get away with being worse”.

Furthermore this Airport Carbon Accreditation seems to be about offsetting carbon emissions, primarily by planting trees. This is really a bit of a farce, as the trees being planted are almost always monoculture tree farms - they’re setting up a profitable business to try and say that their polluting business isn’t so bad overall. Meanwhile, monoculture tree farms are terrible for biodiversity.

The highest level of their accreditation, Level 5, only requires “a commitment” to reducing “non-controlled” emissions - ie those produced by aircraft - by 2050.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Farnborough Airport Ltd has submitted a planning application to Rushmoor borough council to increase the number of flights from 50,000 to 70,000 a year.

The group set off pink smoke flares and waved banners as they called for a total ban on private jets, which they say are up to 30 times more polluting than passenger airliners.

“The fact that using private jets is both legally and socially allowed today in an escalating climate emergency is completely detached from reality,” Thunberg said.

“There are few examples that show as clearly how the rich elite is sacrificing present and future living conditions on this planet so they can maintain their extreme and violent lifestyles.”

“Surely it’s a no-brainer to ban private jets and stop expanding these luxury airports in the midst of a climate crisis?

Sarah Hart, an office assistant from Farnborough, said: “As a local resident and a mum of two, I am utterly appalled at the airport’s plan to expand when we should be banning private flying completely.

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