While the US aviation sector has called for bailout packages close to $120 billion this week, environmental lobby groups have said financial assistance programmes should be linked to environmental sustainability.
US-based lobby group, the Environmental Defense Fund, put out a statement yesterday commenting on requests from the airline sector for Federal government help.
While the EDF conceded the need for a dramatic response to COVID-19, “devastating economic impacts” .
The EDF statement went onto link any assistance for airlines to environmental impacts also need to be mindful of one of the most important lessons of the current crisis: the critical need to listen to the warning of scientists.
“Requiring cuts in climate pollution from airlines - once they recover from the current downturn - would be a major step in the fight against climate change. Indeed, corporate leaders themselves increasingly recognize that their industries need to take action, and that government policy is necessary to make it effective.
And taxpayers, many of whom are now struggling financially, have the right to expect responsible behaviour in exchange for bailouts. They should not be funding private businesses only to see them create more costs for the public – in the form of climate impacts -- in the future.”
The EDF did not outline any specific measures but their message was echoed in an open letter sent by eight US democrat senators, which questioned the logic of providing financial assistance to both the aviation and cruise line sectors without attaching environmental stipulations to the help.
“If we give the airline and cruise industries assistance without requiring them to be better environmental stewards, we would miss a major opportunity to combat climate change and ocean dumping. At a recent hearing of the Senate Democrats 'Special Committee on the Climate Crisis , several financial experts testified about the severe risks climate change poses to our economy. In light of this, efforts to address carbon pollution make good financial and economic sense”.