People 'not prepared to pay green tax'

Most people in the UK would not be prepared to pay more in 'green taxes' on air travel, a new report suggests.

Research carried out by the website unbiased.co.uk found that just one in five holidaymakers would be prepared to pay more for flights in a move to help reduce emissions and curb climate change.

However, the findings highlighted an age divide when it came to green flight taxes. A quarter (24 per cent) of people aged between 25 and 34 said they would welcome these taxes.

In contrast, 63 per cent of the 45- to 54 year-old group said they were reluctant to see more taxes to halt emissions.

"Tackling green issues is probably high on most consumers' wish lists, yet in reality many are not prepared to reach into their pockets to help contribute to the cause," explained David Elms, chief executive of the website.

Low-cost carriers like Ryanair and easyJet have repeatedly argued that air travel accounts for an insignificant percentage of the UK's carbon emissions.

Instead, Ryanair's head of communications, Peter Sherrard, said that the government should focus on reducing emissions from power generation and road transport.

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