Aviation emissions trading off the ground - but still far to go
08 July 2008
A vote in the European Parliament likely to take place later today is set to approve the Liese report on including aviation in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Commenting on the likely outcome of the vote, Green MEP for the South East of England and shadow rapporteur Dr Caroline Lucas said:
"Today's agreement will represent a small step in the right direction, but a truly missed opportunity compared to what should have been achieved. Thanks to concerted efforts by MEPs in the face of enormous opposition, there has at least been some progress - but the Council's intransigence has sadly shown that member states have a long way to go in living up to their claimed commitment to tackling climate change.
"Two years ago there was overwhelming support in Parliament for my pre-legislative report calling for a separate, closed scheme for aviation with a rigorous cap, full auctioning and measures to take account of aviation's considerable non-CO2 impacts.
"However, today's approved agreement will fall well short, allowing the sector unlimited access to credits from other sectors and lacking full auctioning of emissions permits, or a cap anywhere near as challenging as that demanded of other sectors."
On a positive note, Dr Lucas said: "Despite its clear limitations, the agreement will at least bring aviation under some kind of emissions reduction regime. This brings to an end the legislative vacuum the sector has somehow managed to enjoy, despite being one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
"Compared to the starting point of nothing, and also to the proposals of the Commission and Council, we have at least made some small gains in that the cap for aviation will be 97%, rather than 100%, of historical emissions (falling to 95% in 2013); 15%, rather than 10%, of permits will be auctioned, and the Commission has committed to bringing forward measures to address aviation's non-CO2 impacts."
She concluded: "Refusing these and failing to find an agreement could have risked derailing the whole climate package, which Parliament will be voting on later in the year. So with considerable reluctance, the Greens accept these tentative first steps, with the proviso that efforts are rapidly scaled up in future."
