Farewell speech of Professor Paul Peeters: “The unavoidable measure is to temporarily stop growth of aviation up to 2050.”

8 Oct, 2024

Safe Landing attended the farewell speech of Professor Paul Peeters, who, after nearly 22 years as Professor of Sustainable Transport and Tourism at Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), leaves a legacy of impactful climate research and advocacy for sustainable aviation.

Reflecting on 22 years of impact: “Stop eating the grass faster than it grows!”

In a powerful address, Professor Peeters recounted key moments in his career since his 2002 inaugural speech, when he was among the first to raise the alarm on aviation’s climate impact. Following an early analysis on the environmental costs of air travel, he concluded bluntly, “It is climate change, you stupid!”, a phrase that would come to define his approach to research and his bold calls for action. His final recommendation was clear: to prevent catastrophic climate impacts, aviation growth must halt until 2050.

Reflecting on the challenges facing aviation, Professor Peeters underscored that “there is more in the world than growth (greed) and short-term interests (arrogance)”. He expressed deep concern that aviation remains slow to cut emissions, falling behind other transport sectors like road and rail. Peeters also stressed the essential role of the government in enforcing limits to support climate goals and called for aviation to embrace clear, science-based limits on emissions and growth. Using a bold analogy, he warned: “A cow eats grass, more cows eat more grass, but if you eat the grass faster than it grows… you end up in a desert with dead animals. So stop eating the grass faster than it grows!” 

This analogy refers to the “tragedy of the commons” which is an economic and ecological theory that describes how individuals or organisations acting in their own self-interest can deplete a shared resource, or “common”, to the detriment of everyone. This analogy is very suitable for our current scenario in the aviation industry, where all companies and countries are planning for increased growth of air traffic and emissions, despite the clear evidence that we have a finite global carbon budget which is being rapidly depleted and will soon run out completely:

Welcoming Professor Nina Nesterova: “less travel is more, closer travel is further and slower travel is faster.”

Dr. Nina Nesterova, the new Professor of Centre for Sustainable Tourism and Transport (CSTT), delivered her inaugural address, calling for a profound shift in how society perceives travel. Reflecting on her own experiences of limited travel growing up, Nina contrasted this with today’s culture, where frequent, low-cost travel is widespread, yet environmentally damaging.

With air travel responsible for over 70% of tourism-related emissions”, Nina highlighted the critical need for fairer climate practices in tourism.

“In 2019 alone, travel and tourism contributed to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with a mere 1% of the population responsible for over half of air travel emissions.” – Dr. Nina Nesterova

In her new role, Nina is committed to three research pillars: exploring alternative tourism futures, tackling political and social barriers to change, and developing practical measures to cut reliance on high-carbon transport. She concluded with a critical question: “Does frequent travel still offer the rest and rejuvenation we seek?”. And by placing her vision into a time capsule, she wishes for a future where: “less travel is more, closer travel is further and slower travel is faster.”

An engaging interview with Paul and Nina explores their shared vision and priorities for the future, underscoring the importance of an industry that moves forward responsibly and with purpose.

On behalf of the Safe Landing community, Maxine left a handcrafted gift to thank Professor Peeters for his impressive work and congratulated Dr. Nina Nesterova on her new role. Safe Landing is honoured to have been part of this inspiring event marking the transition to a new chapter in sustainable tourism and transport. We look forward to collaborating with BUas and other academic leaders that aligns with our mission to champion sustainable changes in the aviation sector.

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