EU considers changes to emission curbs on airlines

The EU is planning to announce changes in greenhouse gas emission curbs on airlines at the beginning of October based on a United Nations (UN) decision, which is expected later this month.

EU’s regulatory arm, European Commission, is mulling over curbing CO₂ discharges by flights across the 28-nation bloc in European air space, Bloomberg reported citing two undisclosed sources.

The final plan on the changes will be based on the decision of the UN aviation agency on whether to take up global measures to reduce pollution by the airline industry.

The final proposal will depend on the outcome of the vote by the UN aviation agency, according to the sources, citing policy.

In 2012, the commission planned temporary deferral of the imposition of carbon curbs on planes into and from the region in order to ease discussion on a global deal for the reduction of pollution from the industry.

Flights within Europe are still subject to the EU’s carbon-reduction scheme in the cap-and-trade system.

In 2008, the EU decided that all flights to and from airports in Europe should be included within the bloc’s emissions trading system.

The expansion of Europe’s cap-and-trade programme had opposition from various countries such as the US, China and Russia, which said that the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) should decide on pollution curbs.

Meanwhile, the ICAO Council is slated to discuss various global emissions-curbing measures in Montreal before its tri-annual assembly makes a decision on the issue on 26 September, Bloomberg reported.

The EU cap-and-trade programme is the basis of the region’s aim to reduce carbon gases, which scientists blame for climate change.

The limit for the aviation industry started at 97% of average discharges from 2004 to 2006 and will be down to 95% per annum in 2013.

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Image: Flights within Europe are subject to the EU’s carbon-reduction needs in the cap-and-trade system. Photo: courtesy of Suzanne T.