AAP FACTCHECK – A UK government report calls for all airports to be closed and meat and dairy products to be banned, social media posts claim.
This is false. A 2019 research publication calling for airport closures and the phasing out of beef and lamb was not a government report, and the current UK government says the document doesn’t align with its policies.
The claim is made in several Facebook posts, with one captioned “#UK Gov’t Signs #WEF #Treaty to Close #Airports, Ban #Beef and #Lamb To Achieve #NetZero By 2030”, which links to an article on a Greek website.
Another post features an image that reads: “Government Report Calls for All Airports Closed to Comply with ‘Net Zero’.”
The pictured text continues: “All airports must be closed and the consumption of meat and dairy products among the general public must be completely banned in order to comply with the globalist ‘Net Zero’ agenda, according to a disturbing government report.”
Two recent articles by online publications frequently fact-checked for misinformation, The Expose and The People’s Voice, appear to be behind the social media activity.
The Expose has repeatedly featured articles on the subject, with similar or identical wording, over the last three years.
The most recent version, dated September 13, 2024, has the headline: “All UK Airports to close by 2029 & Beef and Lamb to be banned for Human Consumption to meet Climate Scam Targets according to UK Gov. Report.”
It links to a report released in 2019, titled Absolute Zero, by a team of academics working under the name UK FIRES, comprising researchers from the universities of Cambridge, Bath, Nottingham, Strathclyde and Oxford, along with Imperial College London.
The Expose article accurately references the report’s calls for all airports to be closed between 2020 and 2029, excluding Heathrow, Glasgow and Belfast airports, and for all remaining airports to close between 2030 and 2049.
The report does call for national beef and lamb consumption to drop by 50 per cent between 2020 and 2029, and be phased out entirely between 2030 and 2049.
But it’s not a “UK government report”.
The People’s Voice article claims the UK government has signed a treaty with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to close airports, and ban beef and lamb, in order to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. It provides no evidence of such a treaty.
The posts and the articles misrepresent the UK government’s links to the Absolute Zero report.
In a section headed “Why we’ve written this report now” (page 4), the report says: “The authors of this report are funded by the UK government to support businesses and governments (national and regional) to develop a future Industrial Strategy that’s compatible with Zero Emissions.”
A spokesperson for the UK government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero told AAP FactCheck it isn’t linked to the report.
“UK FIRES has never represented the UK government,” the spokesperson said.
“The Absolute Zero report was not commissioned by government and the recommendations do not align with our policy.
“We are committed to net zero and are taking immediate steps to invest in clean, homegrown power, to boost Britain’s energy independence, grow the economy and tackle the climate crisis.”
UK FIRES is led by Cambridge University’s Julian Allwood.
AAP FactCheck asked Professor Allwood to clarify the government’s involvement with the report, and also UK FIRES’ funding.
“UK FIRES is a multi-university research project funded by the government’s research council, but we have never made the claim to represent the government in any way,” Prof Allwood said.
“The report was an output of the research – not a direct commission.”
Prof Allwood stands by the report’s findings.
“The true cost of climate change is a global shortage of food – that isn’t yet visible in public dialogue – so our choice is, ignore climate change and wait for a global war over food, or act now embracing some restraint.”
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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