As the ‘Greta effect’ takes off, travelers are staying grounded with a new survey revealing that one in five potential passengers is choosing to fly less because of climate change concerns, 7news.com.au reports.
The UBS research released this week predicted this will reduce growth in commercial passenger numbers and have a knock-on effect on aircraft sales from aerospace giants such as Airbus and Boeing.
It pointed out that if these trends continue, then growth in passenger numbers could be halved..
The UBS reports argues it could reduce the number of smaller planes ordered from Airbus and rival Boeing by 110 each year with a drop in revenue at market leader Airbus by about $A4.6 billion a year.
The survey of over 6000 people France, Germany, the UK and the US found that 20 per cent said they were flying less, Reuters reported.
And one in four travellers from France, Germany and the US, and 16 per cent of Brits surveyed admitted they had already foregone at least one trip because of climate change concerns.
Notably, nearly 27 per cent of those surveyed said they would consider reducing future flights because of environmental concerns – a big rise up from 20 per cent in May.
Since the last survey, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has come to public attention after sailing to New York from Europe last month to highlight the carbon cost of air travel.
Thunberg then delivered a speech at the UN’s climate conference, in which she told global leaders, “you have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words”.
“If you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you,” she told them.
She has also inspired a series of global climate strikes, with young people of all ages leaving their classrooms at schools and universities to participate in mass climate protests.
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