Agreement Won't Stop Battle Over Carbon-Trading Program
The United States and the
European Union jumped on the 'going green' bandwagon Monday with an
agreement to take steps to cut emissions from aircraft. The Federal
Aviation Administration and the European Commission said the plan
will allow the quick implementation of new emission-reduction
technologies, according to the Associated Press.
Some of the planned methods include a system to reduce aircraft
engine power when landing, thereby reducing the noise, nitrogen
dioxide and carbon dioxide released.
The EU says this research program is only one part of its
overall push to reduce aviation emissions, a rapidly growing
problem as new low-fare airlines are encouraging more people to
fly.
"It supplements our proposal to include aviation in the emission
rights trading system," EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot
said.
The US states it and the EU are going to work with aviation
navigation services, aircraft manufacturers and airlines to test
environmental benefits of the new measures.
Monday's agreement will not ward off a battle over the EU's
forcing its carbon permit trading program on all flights in Europe,
however. US officials have warned that including non-European
airlines in the trade scheme may violate international aviation and
trade law.
As ANN reported, the
commission wants to act to cap greenhouse gases contributed by
airliners, one of the fastest growing sources. EU environment
commissioner, Stavros Dimas, says the most expedient way to do that
is to include the airlines in the system through which industries
earning credits for reducing emissions can sell them to other
industries which can't make adequate reductions.
"Bringing aviation emissions into the EU emissions trading
scheme is a cost-effective solution that is good for the
environment and treats all airlines equally," Dimas added.
According to the AP, the EU said
its plan would give the aviation industry a "financial incentive"
to either make a change to cleaner technology or cut back their
routes and sell their unused carbon permits.
European airlines complained earlier this month the trading
program, as it is currently designed, would stifle future growth
and virtually eliminate profits.
As ANN has reported, a report
by Ernst & Young and air-transport consulting firm York
Aviation says the plan could cost the industry about $5.4 billion
annually.
In spite of the controversy and caution from the US, the plan
won the approval of EU transport ministers Saturday, although it
still requires approval by the European Parliament before it can
become law.
"Every mode of transport, including the air mode, has to make
its contribution to tackling climate change," said Wolfgang
Tiefensee, Germany's transport minister, to the BBC.