Aviation Included in EU Emissions Trading Scheme

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Guardian.co.uk Tuesday July 8, 2008

 

All airlines flying to and from the EU will be forced to cut their carbon dioxide emissions from 2012 under a compromise deal approved by MEPs today.

But the initial cut will be only 3% of average 2004-06 emission levels, rising to 5% in 2013, and airlines will be handed out 85% of their pollution permits for free. MEPs also dropped earlier plans for intra-EU flights to be affected from 2011.

Even so, angry airlines struggling with higher fuel prices warned that their inclusion within the EU's emissions trading scheme (ETS), its flagship mechanism for fighting climate change, would bring extra costs, higher fares and no environmental benefit.

MEPs voted 640 to 30, with 30 abstentions, to endorse a heavily watered down version of proposals first launched by the European commission and due to be rubber-stamped by ministers within the next few weeks.

 

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