Flying should not be treated as the “ultimate evil” and people should enjoy guilt-free travel despite the impact on the climate, the UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said.
Mr Shapps’s comments came after criticism of some delegates at the Cop26 summit, including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, for flying to Glasgow when alternatives with a lower carbon footprint were available.
The ninth day of Cop26 talks on Wednesday is dedicated to transport, with Britain unveiling plans for zero-emission lorries and an upgraded electric charging network.
Mr Shapps said the green overhaul should not prevent people from travelling to visit friends and family or do business.
“I believe, as Transport Secretary, that we can get to guilt-free travel in this country,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“There has been an idea that has been allowed to percolate that, somehow, if we are going to meet all these different carbon commitments, we are going to need to get to the point where we all stay home, that travel is somehow something which attracts great guilt.
"It gets worse the further you travel, so flying is, of course, the ultimate evil, as it is presented and that is just not what we believe as the British government.”
His comments came as about two dozen countries said they would work together to reduce emissions from plane travel to “net zero” by 2050, including by promoting the use of sustainable fuels.
Greenpeace described the declaration — signed by Britain, France, Spain, the United States and others — as “brazen greenwashing.”
“They should be reducing flights and massively investing into rail and greener travel options,” the environmental group said.
Rail operators have encouraged people in Britain to reach Glasgow by train – but many were stranded when fallen trees blocked the main north-south routes.
Mr Johnson took thetrain when he returned to Glasgow on Wednesday to push for a successful end to the summit.
He said delegates should “pull out all the stops” in the final days of talks to keep alive hopes of limiting global warming to 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels.
The UK plans to cut its carbon emissions by phasing out petrol cars from 2030 and polluting heavy goods vehicles from 2040.
As part of this, Britain unveiled the design of electric charging points that will be needed to support low-carbon road transport.
The government said the charging stations could become emblems of Britain such as the red post box or London’s black cabs.
“To support the transition to [electric vehicles], it is integral that we have the infrastructure to support it,” Mr Shapps said.
“My vision is for the UK to have one of the best EV infrastructure networks in the world, with excellent British design at its heart.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Aryan%20Lakra%2C%20Ashwanth%20Valthapa%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20CP%20Rizwaan%2C%20Hazrat%20Billal%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%20and%20Zawar%20Farid.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
