Sommaire: 12 November 2007, Brussels - European Union Parliamentarians will debate today whether aviation should be included in the EU's Emission Trading Scheme. Low-cost airlines and increased business travel are just two factors that have led to growing passenger numbers. CO2 emissions from planes have risen 87% since 1990, just at a time when the EU is trying to bring them down to meet Kyoto targets. Being debated will be a proposal for the Emissions Scheme to apply to all European air traffic by 2010 along alongside steep cuts in emissions.
The proposals to be debated later today were recently backed by MEPs on Parliament's Environment Committee. They go further than the Commission's original suggestion of 2012 to be the date to include European air-traffic. By calling for a 25% cut in existing levels of CO2 emissions by planes by 2010, MEPs differ from the Commission which wants existing levels (2004-2006) to be stabilised and remain the future benchmark.
This stance takes them further than the Parliament's rapporteur on the issue, German MEP Peter Liese (EPP-ED). He welcomes the cut but thinks 25% is "technically not feasible". Whether MEPs will back the cut in their Monday debate and their vote on Tuesday will be a key part of the debate.
"Emissions trading - instrument to mitigate climate change"
The Emissions Trading Scheme was established in 2005 as a way of using market incentives for companies to reduce their CO2 emissions. Currently companies can buy and sell allowances worth 1 tonnes of CO2 each. Some of those sectors that are covered include power and heat generators, oil refineries, metals, pulp and paper. Other energy intensive energies can also take part. The amount that can be bought or sold are allocated in "National Allocation Plans" with about 1.5 million tons of CO2 being
traded daily.
Crucially, aviation is not one of the industries. Peter Liese would like to see air traffic included in the scheme; Emissions trading is the most important instrument of the EU to mitigate climate change". As for the way in which it will work he explained that "in contrast to the existing scheme, the allocations for aviation will not be distributed by the member states but by a European harmonised allocation method".
Environment Committee MEPs want all flights included
MEPs on the Environment Committee also want all flights included by 2010. The Commission had earlier envisaged inter-EU flights by 2011 and then flights departing or arriving from the EU by 2012. Explaining the rationale behind the stance Peter Liese said; "it is difficult to explain that a flight from the UK to Morocco is not covered by the scheme from the start while a flight from the UK to the Canary Islands would be".
The Association of European Airlines say that support the concept of emissions trading "as a potentially useful tool for managing emissions". However, they argue the EU is handicapping its own carriers and the cost could be €160 billion Euro over the next 10 years.
Are low cost flights in jeopardy?
The European Commission estimates that the cost of a ticket could rise by €1.8 Euro to €9 Euro by 2020 if aviation joins the Emission's Trading scheme. They point out that this is very small in comparison to changes caused by oil prices.
Travelling by plane is one of the least "green" modes available. Per kilometre it uses on average 191g of CO2 per passenger, this is in contrast with 143g for a car and 47g by train.
If current trends continue, CO2 emissions from planes will double by 2020. Such a growth means the issue is likely to continue to be politically controversial.
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