A new paper put out on November 9 by Project Icarus, the environmental scheme launched by the UK and Ireland Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM), said increased pressure on airlines would be one of the main implications of any deal signed.

The Icarus paper said that if a target were set for aviation it would put “considerably more pressure” on the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the UN body that regulates global civil aviation, to develop a carbon cutting programme.

The UN Climate Change Conference in the Danish capital on December 7-18 is to agree on a new international global deal, following on from the Kyoto Protocol signed in 1997.

Any agreement is likely to include targets for cuts on CO2 emissions for developed countries including those from aviation and shipping which were not included in the Kyoto deal.

Icarus said the Copenhagen talks would not address ground transport as its emission were regarded as being part of a country’s total.

But it added: “A strong Global Deal would be likely to favour lowcarbon transport modes such as rail over high-carbon modes such as private car travel, since switching to these modes would help developed countries meet their emissions targets.”