EU freezes airlines carbon emissions law
Source: The Guardian
EU freezes airlines carbon emissions law
The unexpected climbdown was prompted by a decision to look
into ways of encouraging airlines to cut their emissions
Fiona Harvey
guardian.co.uk, Monday 12 November 2012 12.54 GMT
The European commission has made an unexpected climbdown over greenhouse gas emissions from aeroplanes, by suspending the carbon penalties it levies on flights taking off or landing from EU member states.
The extraordinary step was prompted by a decision by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on Friday to look into ways of encouraging airlines to cut their emissions, preferably through a "market-based mechanism" such as carbon trading. However, ICAO has only decided to start looking into the issue, and has not yet made a decision on whether to implement such a system.
The EU's move was seen by some green groups as a watering down of its previous firm stance that all international flights taking off or landing within the EU must be covered by the EU's emissions trading system (ETS), under which air companies had to buy carbon permits to cover the emissions that their aircraft generated. The US, China and other countries had strenuously opposed this system, and instituted legal actions against the EU – still ongoing – claiming that the move was illegal under international law.
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Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/12/eu-airline-emissions-law