Wednesday Night #1333 Postscript on ICAO meeting

29 September 2007

Civil aviation conference rejects EU push for emission cuts
MONTREAL (AFP) — The International Civil Aviation Organization on Friday adopted a broad program to counter the effects of global warming in the aviation industry, but rejected EU proposals to cut carbon emissions.
After meeting for 10 days, [a] majority of delegates at the United Nations body that specializes in air transportation rejected a European Union proposal to to impose quotas on CO2 emissions on airlines and include airlines in emissions trading schemes.
EU officials plan to impose such restrictions starting in 2012 for all flights landing or departing its air space.

28 September 2007
EU sticks to disputed airline emissions plan
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union stuck to its plans to include foreign airlines in its emissions trading system at U.N. meetings this week, despite opposition from the United States.
Airline emissions were top of the agenda of a tri-annual meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations body, in Montreal which ended on Friday.
The European Commission said in a statement there was no clear agreement on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation and the EU insisted it had the right to include airlines in its trading system.

26 September
US set to challenge Europe airline carbon tax in court
The United States yesterday gave warning that European plans to impose a carbon tax on airlines would be challenged in court.
America has been stung by European criticism, led by Britain, that it should accept binding cuts in CO2 emissions because it is doing too little to fight global warming. But the US hit back yesterday by accusing the EU of focusing on airline emissions when road transport accounted for a much higher share of pollution.