Freight News

Brussels drops aviation emissions plan

[ November 19, 2012   //   Chris ]

EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said on November 12 that inclusion of international aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) would be suspended. Brussels would instead allow the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to develop a global solution for managing aviation carbon emissions.

The ETS scheme has run into considerable opposition outside Europe and, the following day, on 13 November, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to prevent US airlines from participating in the scheme.

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) described the EU Commissioner’s move as “very welcome and pragmatic”. It showed, said TIACA chairman Michael Steen that governments, regulators and industry now recognised the importance of collaboration on key issues such as security and the environment.
TIACA had always held the view that the EU should work with ICAO to realize sustainable aviation initiatives, which after all had been recognised by the Kyoto Protocol as having the authority to set international aviation’s greenhouse gas policy.

Tags: Emissions Trading Scheme, environment, EU Climate Action, The International Air Cargo Association