Leeds-Bradford International Airport generates the same amount of CO2 each year as the entire African country of Gambia, an environmental body has claimed.

The World Development Movement Group has produced rankings of all of the country's major airports in terms of the carbon emissions they emit in a year.

Although Leeds-Bradford's emissions do not compare to the likes of Heathrow and Gatwick, the charity says it is shocked that the Yeadon-based airport can impact the climate as much as an entire country.

Gambia has an area of 4,300 square miles and a population of about 1.5 million.

Bosses at the airport hit back, pointing out the contribution aviation makes to the developing economies of Africa and the relatively small impact which the emissions from planes make on the environment compared to other sources and industries.

The World Movement Group came up with the figure after taking the total amount of emissions generated by flights in the UK each year and then using passenger numbers from each airport to work out the proportion of the total emissions which each airport contributed.

David Somerville, of the Bradford branch of the World Development Movement Group, said: "I am shocked to learn that the impact on the climate from flights from Leeds-Bradford International Airport is the same as that of an entire country.

"Climate change will hit the poorest countries with drought, flooding, disease and death.

"If the Government is serious about stopping dangerous climate change, they must introduce legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions in line with the latest science. These can only be met if the growth of aviation emissions is halted, which at the very least means scrapping the Government's airport expansion plans."

Campaigners at the group are using the figures to further their call for the Government to increase its target for a reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 to 80 per cent.

A spokesman for the airport said: "We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and the aviation industry as a whole is working extremely hard to minimise the impact of C02 emissions.

"Leeds-Bradford Airport is a signatory to the UK Sustainable Aviation Strategy, the world's only environmental strategy for air transport."

It is not the first time the airport has come under fire from environmental protesters.

Earlier this year a woman glued herself to the terminal building in protest against the impact air travel has upon climate change.

Penny Eastwood, 51, of Hebden Bridge, managed to glue herself to the Yeadon building for an hour. The mother-of-two was a member of the Camp for Climate Group.

Low cost airline Jet2.com declined to comment on the report. The group employs a full-time project manager to monitor the usage of fuel and environmental performance within its aircraft fleet.

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