EU moves in on airline CO2 emissions

Airlines are to be included in the European emissions trading scheme, according to a proposal tabled today by the European commission.

The long-anticipated proposal says emissions from all flights between EU airports should be covered by the ETS from 2011 onwards.

In 2012, the scheme would then extend to cover emissions from all international flights – from or to anywhere in the world – that arrive or leave from an EU airport.

The commission says this could achieve CO2 savings of 183m tonnes per year – the equivalent of twice Austria’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

“Aviation too should make a fair contribution to cut greenhouse gas emissions,” argued EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas.

“Bringing aviation emissions into the EU emissions trading scheme is a cost-effective solution that is good for the environment and treats all airlines equally.”

Emissions from aviation account for 3 per cent of total EU greenhouse gas emissions.

But this is increasing fast – by 87 per cent since 1990 – as cheaper flights abound and airlines do not pay tax on fuel.

The commission says that someone flying from London to New York and back generates the same level of emissions as the average person in the EU does by heating their home for a whole year.

The move is part of the commission’s build up of its emissions trading scheme, which it sees as crucial to showing leadership in the fight against climate change.

But there have been signals from the US and from the airline industry that there could be resistance to including aviation in the ETS.

Asked whether he was worried about a possible legal challenge to the inclusion of airlines in the scheme, Dimas insisted that the proposal is fully compatible with international rules on aviation.

“We wouldn’t do something that we believed could be successfully challenged in the courts,” he told reporters.

Dimas said he saw “encouraging signs” from the US, especially from civil society and the local authorities.

Critics, however, are questioning whether the scheme can succeed given that it is a purely EU-initiated proposal rather than a broader international agreement under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

“The implementation of this system would only make sense if the important third countries are part of it,” argued German conservative MEP Georg Jarzembowski.

“Up to now I haven’t seen any readiness on the part of the USA, China or the United Arab Emirates to comply with a European system.”

But Dimas told reporters the EU must practice what it preaches if it is to play a leadership role against global warming.

“If we wait for ICAO to move on emissions trading, we will wait forever,” he argued.

Meanwhile green organisation Transport & Environment said the commission’s proposal is “too weak to substantially reduce the impact of the sector”.

The NGO says the scheme should be accompanied by additional measures such as a tax on fuel and VAT on tickets.

“Not only does the aviation industry stand to get double the permits of other sectors, the fuel tax exemption enjoyed by the sector is worth another €35 billion alone, not to mention the lack of VAT on tickets and the €20 billion European taxpayers have paid out in rescue aid to airlines,” said T&E’s Jos Dings.

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