France has officially implemented a ban on domestic flights for routes that can be traveled by train in under two-and-a-half hours, with the aim of reducing airline emissions.
The ban, which took effect on Tuesday, May 23, primarily affects air travel between Paris and regional hubs like Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux, while connecting flights remain unaffected.
The move is seen as a test case for governments worldwide, according to Max Boycoff, chairman of environmental studies at the University of Colorado, as it symbolically demonstrates the potential for emissions reductions.
Rail travel emits approximately one-third of the hydrocarbons emitted by flights.
While aviation contributes only 2% of global emissions, transportation as a whole accounts for around 25-30% of global emissions.
“While this material impact is quite minimal – only 2 percent of global emissions come from aviation – in symbolic ways, it has a lot of purchase. Everything does count and the ways we get from place to place does matter, and transportation overall contributes to somewhere between one-quarter and 30 percent of global emissions. This demonstrates the power of climate policy action,” Boycoff said.
Some airlines had raised legal concerns, leading to a European Commission investigation, but the ban was confirmed as lawful.
The law requires frequent, timely, and well-connected train services to accommodate passengers who would otherwise choose air travel.
The move in France also includes efforts to reduce emissions from private jets.
Critics argue that governments should focus on significant solutions rather than symbolic bans to address airline emissions.
Source-Aljazeera
