EU emissions plans 'inadequate'

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The EU intends to include the aviation industry in its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which limits the amount of carbon dioxide companies can produce and forces them to buy extra allowances if they exceed their allocated permits.

But scientists from climate change research organisation the Tyndall Centre warned the proposals must be strengthened if they are to help meet the commitment to prevent temperatures rising more than 2C.

The EU plans to include aviation in the emissions trading scheme for flights within Europe by 2011 and on all flights departing or arriving in the EU from 2012.

The Tyndall Centre's report for Friends of the Earth - Aviation in a Low-Carbon EU - said the scheme must be introduced by 2010 at the latest, and warned expected prices for carbon dioxide permits would have no impact on the price of air travel.

The climate change experts recommended the carbon permits should be auctioned to airlines rather than given away for free, and - like other industries - aviation emissions should be measured against 1990 levels, even though the industry has expanded massively since then.

Friends of the Earth wants to see additional measures to tackle emissions from flying, such as including aviation in the Government's new climate change law, a tax on aeroplane fuel and VAT on air tickets.

The environmental organisation's aviation campaigner Richard Dyer said: "Current proposals to include aviation within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme are a totally inadequate response to the threat that the growth in aviation emissions poses to efforts to tackle climate change."

Dr Kevin Anderson, director of the Tyndall Centre's energy programme said: "The current aviation ETS proposal must be significantly strengthened so as to both drive down emission rates and force the adoption of more efficient aircraft technologies and operation."