AAPA welcomes suspension of Europe's ETS

The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has responded with a "cautious welcome" to news that the inclusion of international aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) has been suspended, but remains wary that the move "may not go far enough".

The European Commission on Monday "stopped the clock", implementing a year-long suspension of the ETS for international airlines, which means they will not have to surrender allowances for carbon emissions produced flying in and out of Europe during 2012 next April. Flights within the EU, however, will still be charged.

AAPA director general, Andrew Herdman, said in a press statement: “In making this long overdue move, the EU has finally bowed to the inevitable, in effect acknowledging that it cannot unilaterally impose the scheme on non-EU airlines without the consent of other governments.”

He added: “Temporarily suspending the scheme is obviously a positive gesture by the EU, but may not go far enough. The implied threat of an automatic snapback in a year’s time means that the EU will still be seen by some as negotiating with a gun on the table.” The move follows recent scathing criticism from the association at its 56^th Assembly of Presidents.

AAPA, which has argued that an international industry such as aviation requires a coherent global policy framework on emissions, said it would continue to work with other stakeholders to encourage the development of proposals for consideration by the ICAO Assembly in September next year.

Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, urged all parties to ICAO to make full use of this window of time to take action towards creating an international framework to govern emissions. She said: “Let me be very clear: if this exercise does not deliver – and I hope it does – then needless to say we are back to where we are today with the EU ETS. Automatically.”

-TTG Asia.