Euro-MPs back aviation action

13th November 2007

CLEARER skies are ahead - after Euro-MPs backed new plans to tackle climate change by limiting emissions from aircraft.

Labour MEPs GLENYS KINNOCK and ELUNED MORGAN voted to include aircraft emissions in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Through the use of so-called ‘carbon permits', the scheme will essentially limit carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft and reward the most environmentally-friendly airlines.

MEPs want the revenues generated from the auctioning of the permits to be used to tackle the effects of climate change, to fund research and development into environmentally friendly technologies, and to lower taxes and charges on climate-friendly transport.

Speaking from Strasbourg ELUNED MORGAN, a member of the European Parliament's Climate Change Committee, said:

"Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges of our time. The EU has already led the way by introducing an emissions trading scheme for heavy industry, it now makes sense to extend this scheme to aviation - which is after all the fastest-growing source of carbon emissions.

"These proposals will not mean the cost of airline tickets will sky-rocket, but it will mean that airlines and air-travellers will be doing their bit in the fight to combat climate change."

GLENYS KINNOCK added:

"It is a shame that, against the vote of Labour MEPs, Parliament voted to exclude business jets from the scheme. The entire aviation industry must take responsibility for its CO2 emissions and play its part in averting the serious threat of climate change."

Notes
• While the European Commission had proposed capping ETS allowances for CO2 emissions at 100 percent of aircraft operators' average annual emissions during 2004-2006, the European Parliament went even further, reducing the number of ETS-authorised emissions for aviation to 90 percent. The Parliament also voted to exclude all military flights from the scope of the directive.
• In 2004, greenhouse gas emissions from the EU's share of international aviation increased by 7.5 percent compared with 2003.