Opinion

EU's carbon control aims at emission reduction only?

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-18 13:04

BEIJING -- EU's carbon emission control over the aviation industry has triggered a question in the international community: Is it aimed to promote carbon emission reduction or simply "passage money"?

In July 2008, the EU decided that as of January 1, 2012, internal and external flights to and from the bloc's airports should be added to the Emissions Trading System (ETS), a scheme that forces polluters to buy allowances for carbon dioxide they emit above a certain cap.

Under the EU directive, emissions from aviation will be capped at 97 percent of the average airline emissions between 2004 and 2006, and 95 percent as from 2013.

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At the beginning, 82 percent of the airlines' allowances will be handed out for free, while 15 percent will be sold at auction. The other 3 percent will be put into a reserve and later be distributed to fast growing airlines and new entrants to the system.

The European Commission will decide in September 2011 the exact amount of allowances to be handed out for free, to be auctioned and to be put into the reserve.

All flights, regardless of the flight operation's nationality, taking off and landing in the EU will be affected. It involves more than 2,000 foreign airlines.

The EU move will add 3.4 billion euros ($48 billion) to the costs of the global aviation industry in the first year and the costs are expected to rise year by year, according to a forecast of the International Air Transport Association.

The Chinese aviation industry estimates that Chinese airlines will have to pay 800 million yuan (87 million dollars) to the EU for carbon dioxide emissions in 2012 and the figure may amount to 3 billion yuan ($330 million) in 2020.

Other developing countries such as India and Brazil face the same problem, as their aircraft fleets are expanding.

Many developing countries believe, the EU move violates the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities," one of the fundamental principles in the efforts to cut global carbon emissions, as the EU does not differentiate responsibilities between developing and developed countries.

Western countries also oppose the inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS. US airlines whose long-haul flights cross EU airspace have filed a case with the European Court of Justice, challenging the EU's right to charge them.

The money collected under the name of carbon emission regulation is not used for global carbon emission reduction, but goes to the EU pocket instead.

Analysts say the EU move equals to charging "passage money." The unilateral practice, which violates international rules and is unfair, is likely to induce countermeasures on European airlines by other countries.

Therefore, it is harmful to the development of the international aviation industry and to global emission reduction.