Going green 'may not be simple' when it comes to holidays

People trying to be environmentally-friendly while planning their holiday this year may be interested to learn that eco-labelling of aircrafts may not truly represent their environmental impact.

Last month a House of Commons select committee recommended that UK airlines should categorise their aeroplanes by the level of their carbon emissions.

This system may not be truly representative of the environmental impact, however, according to Mott MacDonald, a management engineering and development consultancy.

People thinking of going on a long-haul flight for a Mauritius holiday or a Goa holiday, for example, may be concerned about their environmental impact, yet Lawrence Price, spokesperson for the company, has suggested that labelling aircraft will not be as simple as labelling electrical equipment.

"Take two aeroplanes of exactly the same size, make, power output and engines. In one put 150 people; in the other put 200 - the unit output in terms of emissions per passenger per mile changes dramatically."

Mr Price also commented that other considerations may govern people's choice of airline and type of aeroplane, such as price, destination, schedule and frequency, meaning that although some people may be concerned about the environment, they may not necessarily be able to opt for a greener option.