A HARD-HITTING document drawn up by environmental experts at Oxford University seeks to make clear the case for urgent Government action on air travel and climate change.

Sally Cairns and Carey Newson of the university's Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University carried out what is being billed as the most comprehensive examination to date of the challenge faced by the Government in reconciling its aviation policy with its targets for tackling climate change.

"Predict and decide: Aviation, climate change and policy" is being launched today in the House of Lords by the all party Parliamentary Sustainable Aviation Group.

It brings together the latest research into the social, economic and environmental issues surrounding aviation policy.

The findings suggest that public awareness of these issues has grown steadily and support for restraining the growth in air travel now outweighs opposition, with a majority in favour of airlines paying for environmental damage, even if this means higher fares.

The report claims the economic case made for continued expansion neglects factors such as the negative impacts that cheap flights have on the UK's tourism industry, the public revenue lost through tax exemptions and the carbon cuts that will be required from all other sectors if aviation is allowed to expand unchecked.

The report says mechanisms to tax air travel are simple and readily implemented - for instance a rise in Air Passenger Duty.

The Government's preferred solution of including aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is complex, unlikely to be implemented for several years and even then its outcome is highly uncertain, the report states.

Government policies are identified as doing little to slow down emissions from air travel which the report highlights as one of the fastest growing sources of damaging climate changing emissions.

Jeff Gazzard, of the Aviation Environment Federation, said: "This isn't the first time that serious academic research has highlighted the Government's failure to control the climate change impacts of flying.

"Comment is always better accompanied by progressive and intelligent policy analysis - and this latest report has pulled together a number of convincing public opinion attitudinal surveys that show very strong support for green taxes on air transport.

"These findings give the lie to politicians' oft-repeated fallback that there are "no votes in taxing air travel. There clearly are."

Dr Brenda Boardman, the project leader from Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute, said: "The Government has to confront the contradictions in its policies.

"Unless the rate of growth in flights is curbed, the UK cannot fulfil its commitments on climate change.

"If Government wants to be confident about achieving its targets, it has to undertake demand management. Relying on technological fixes alone is totally unrealistic."

Dr Cairns said: "If the government wants to reduce aviation growth, it has the power to act now. Raising air passenger duty would help to counter reductions in fares, which are estimated to have been responsible for at least 40 per cent of recent aviation growth."

Co-author Dr Newson, said: "Opinion polls should encourage the government to revisit its aviation policy. A majority now favour airlines paying higher taxes to reflect environmental damage, even if this means higher airfares."