MEPs get tough on airline CO2 emissions

STRASBOURG – MEPs have adopted a report which introduces much stricter changes to a proposal by the European commission on aviation emissions trading.

The changes to the emissions trading scheme (ETS) proposal include a 'cap' on pollution permits at 90 percent of aviation carbon dioxide emissions (compared to the commission proposal of 100 per cent), and an ability to trade 25% of these permits via auction (the commission had not set limits on the number of permits auctioned).

Green MEP Caroline Lucas was very unhappy with the original commission proposal.

“The commission proposal is enormously disappointing…it isn’t serious, it isn’t ambitious, and it isn’t global leadership,” she said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Lucas was, however, pleased with the changes in the adopted report.

"There are limitations to the extent to which the aviation industry can simply buy its way out of this CO2 reduction system," she said.

The ETS will also now cover all flights as of 2011, including those for government officials.

The author of the report, centre-right deputy Peter Liese, said that the result of the votes demonstrated that the parliament was taking the initiative on CO2 emissions.

“The idea is that this should be done so that we get environmentally-friendly aeroplanes…we are going to make progress and make headway on this ourselves,” he said.

EPP-ED deputy Georg Jarzembowski, a member of the transport committee, said however that he would have preferred to give airlines a greater chance to regulate themselves.

“I am optimistic that, out of their own interest, airlines – at least in Europe – will improve their airline fleets to make them more energy efficient and environmentally friendly,” he said.

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