The Government is to urge the United States and other countries to sign a new treaty forcing airlines to pay for the environmental damage that they cause.

Douglas Alexander, the Transport Secretary, will demand a review of the 60-year-old Chicago Convention, which prevents countries from imposing taxes on international flights.

Mr Alexander will press for airlines to pay their full environmental costs, either through an emissions trading scheme or by paying tax on aviation fuel. He believes that America's determination to protect its airlines from taxes is one of the main obstacles to reforming the treaty.

In an interview with The Times, Mr Alexander said: “The time has come for a fundamental review of the Chicago Convention. There is no mention of the environment whatsoever in the convention.”

He said that the convention, which was agreed in 1944 and has been signed by 189 states, prevented international cooperation to curb aviation emissions.

Airlines now contribute 2 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions but their share is rising rapidly.

Asked whether he believed that airlines should pay tax on their fuel, he said: “I think over time we’ve always said aviation needs to meet its full environmental externalities.”

Air-passenger duty, which the Government doubled this week, is not classed as a tax on flights under the terms of the treaty because it is levied on the passenger rather than the airline and applies only to departures from British airports. An international tax on aviation fuel would affect all flights.

Mr Alexander admitted that he would face strong opposition from other signatories, including the US: “I think this will not find universal support among other governments, some of whom will be wary of recognising that we need to do more on the environment.” But he said that countries including Canada, Australia and Hungary had indicated that they would support Britain in seeking a review of the treaty. The International Air Transport Association, which represents 250 airlines, said that the industry was already working hard to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

Aircraft use an average of four litres of fuel per 100km. But the next generation, including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787, will use just under three litres per 100km.

A spokesman said: “If fuel is taxed then that will rob us of the money we need to invest in new technology in order to reduce emissions.”

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