MEP’s include aviation in C trading scheme + i year earlier
28/5/2008 Guardian MEPs voted overwhelmingly to include aviation in Europe’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) a year earlier than planned.
The European parliament’s environment committee said airlines should be covered
by the ETS from 2011 rather than 2012 as proposed by the European commission and
the 27 national governments.
The MEPs pressed the EU to force airlines to bid for at least 25% of pollution
permits and to set the cap on CO2 emissions at 90% of the levels between 2004
and 2006 rather than 100%, with the cap lowered in subsequent years from 2013.
The vote comes as airlines are suffering from rising fuel prices, forcing US
carriers to cut flights and axe jobs and many others to impose surcharges on
passengers. It also coincided with displays of alternative, “green” fuels at the
Berlin air show.
Caroline Lucas, a British Green MEP, said the vote demonstrated determination to
get tough with the aviation sector as a factor in global warming.
She accused national governments, including Britain, of being “shamefully keen”
to water down the commission’s proposals to auction the permits in an effort to
prevent companies profiting from the free permits.
Britain wanted to limit auctioning of permits to 10%, for example. Greens wanted
100% auctioning but said the 25% limit proposed for the first two years of the
scheme would be increased.
Peter Liese, a German Christian Democrat who drew up the committee’s proposals,
said the plan would cost passengers up to €10 (£8) extra on intra-EU flights and
€40 more on transatlantic routes.