By Graham Dunn in London
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have spelt out their position on emissions trading, after backing proposals put forward calling for aviation’s contribution to initially be tackled through an airline-only emissions trading scheme (ETS).
The European Commission (EC) last September proposed aviation’s inclusion in the European Union’s ETS and a working group was subsequently established to assess issues related to the move. The EC is aiming to table legislative proposals by the year end.
Against this backdrop the MEPs have today voted to adopt a report drafted by Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas, voting 439 in favour and 74 against, with 102 abstentions. This will now form the basis of its position on the issue.
While the report shares the EC view that incorporating aviation into the existing carbon dioxide (CO2) ETS scheme is the most appropriate approach, its proposes the creation of a dedicated scheme for aviation emissions. It says this is in recognition that “due to the lack of binding commitments for international aviation emissions under the UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, the aviation sector would be unable to actually sell into the ETS”.
It adds a dedicated scheme would substantially simplify accounting and should as a first step cover all flights to and from any EU airport.
It suggests that if aviation is to move into the wider ETS scheme, there should at least be a pilot phase of the separate scheme covering 2008-2012.
Speaking after today’s vote, Lucas says: “The aviation sector is growing fast…and technological efficiency gains just aren’t enough to counteract the massive increases in emissions that this will generate.
“We simply have no choice but to clip the airlines’ wings and force them to reduce their impact on the climate,” she adds. “At a time when few now deny the urgency of addressing climate change, the rapid growth of flying threatens to throw all efforts to reduce dangerous emissions off course.”
In adopting the report, it will now form the basis of the Parliament’s submission to the EC’s forthcoming legislative proposals.
Source: Flight International
