Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Lobbying Overview: In 2022-24, Airlines UK is highly engaged with climate-related policy for UK aviation with both negative and positive positioning. Airlines UK has consistently advocated to weaken the UK’s Air Passenger Duty tax and the cap on Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) in the UK’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate, while also supporting a UK SAF mandate.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Airlines UK supported a net-zero CO2 emissions from UK aviation by 2050 in its 2024 Manifesto published in March 2024. However, Airlines UK’s CEO, Tim Alderslade, stressed cost and competitiveness concerns resulting from climate policies for aviation in a September 2024 the Guardian article. InfluenceMap has not found evidence of a position on the Paris Agreement in 2022-24.in 2022-24.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Airlines UK supported the UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate in their 2024 Manifesto published in March 2024. Its CEO, Tim Alderslade supported the UK SAF mandate alongside further SAF incentives in an April 2024 UK Government News Release. Through its participation in ‘Back British SAF’, a coalition of Britain’s leading companies in the aviation sector, Airlines UK supported a Revenue Support Mechanism for SAFs, as also declared on their Website, accessed in October 2024. However, in a June 2023 Consultation Response on the UK SAF mandate, Airlines UK appeared unsupportive of a 10% 2030 mandate and advocated for a low ambition scenario for 2025 while stating that a high 2040 target is possible with support and appearing unsupportive of a power-to-liquid mandate before 2040. In the same Consultation Response, Airlines UK appeared to support UK SAF allowances under the UK ETS funded by the phase-out of free emissions allowances.
More negatively, Airlines UK advocated for the cap on Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) fuels under the UK SAF mandate to be delayed in their 2024 Manifesto published in March 2024. In a June 2023 Consultation Response, Airlines UK also advocated for the HEFA cap to be increased or delayed.
Positioning on Energy Transition: In 2022-24, Airlines UK has consistently advocated against the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (APD) and demand management policies, while generally supporting a transition to SAFs. Its CEO, Tim Alderslade opposed an increase in the UK’s APD in a March 2023 Telegraph article, in a March 2024 Press Release and an October 2024 Press Release. Tim Alderslade also appeared unsupportive of demand management of aviation in a September 2024 Telegraph article.
More positively, Airlines UK supported increased investment and funding for SAF and hydrogen in its 2024 Manifesto published in March 2024.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q3 2024.