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The CCC said cutting gross aviation emission to 2005 levels in the run-up to 2050, together with 90% emission cuts in other sectors, would be necessary to achieve the economy-wide 80% emissions reductions required under EU law by 2050.

The independent body made its remarks in a letter to transport secretary Andrew Adonis and energy secretary Ed Miliband. It said aviation CO2 emissions should be capped through a global deal, limiting them to 2005 levels.

Unless capped, aviation will account for 15-20% of all CO2 emissions by 2050, the CCC said.

This means other sectors of the economy may have to increase their overall emission reduction target from 80%, as stipulated in the Climate Change Act, to 90% in order to compensate for the aviation industry.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said the UK has the toughest climate change regime for aviation of any country in the world, and that the government would make aviation emissions central to a global deal on climate change at the Copenhagen conference later this year.

She said: 鈥淭he issue isn鈥檛 about the growth of the sector, flying less or building fewer runways, it鈥檚 about capping our emissions and the government is already leading the way on this.鈥�

Greenpeace said carbon emissions from the British economy 鈥渨ill have to be squeezed till the pips squeak鈥� in order to accommodate the 鈥渂inge-flying culture鈥� it claims is promoted by government.

The lobby group said the credibility of building a third runway at London Heathrow airport was called into question.

A Greenpeace spokeswoman said: 鈥淓ven without the proposed expansion of aviation, the UK industry is going to find it very hard to offset its emissions through trading carbon.

鈥淥ther industries such as the power sector will have to reduce their emissions even further to create room for the aviation sector to grow even more.

鈥淓lectricity consumers could end up footing the bill,鈥� she claimed.

Since BSD October went to press, the aviation industry has said it is to reduce its net CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050.

The 230 International Air Transport Association (IATA) airlines, supported by the aircraft manufacturers, air traffic control providers and airports, have reportedly reached an agreement setting out specific targets for the global industry and a process to reduce net CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050, compared with 2005 levels.

The IATA airlines have also said they will improve CO2 efficiency by an average of 1.5 per cent per year up to 2020; stabilise net CO2 emissions from 2020 (ie achieve carbon-neutral growth) and will submit a framework to the UN on how to achieve these targets by November 2010.