Archived press release

Us bid to scupper blair plans to tackle aircraft emissions

1 October 2004

The United States is planning to try and block European plans to make airlines pay for the climate-changing gases they emit. The move will be a major challenge to Tony Blair who has promised to champion the EU proposals on the international stage [1], and follows in the wake of the Russian cabinet's decision to approve the Kyoto protocol on tackling climate change.

US officials, under pressure from US airlines, will table an amended resolution on Friday at an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) meeting in Montreal, opposing European plans to tackle carbon dioxide emissions from the rapidly expanding aviation industry.

The EU has discussed plans to tackle emissions either by including the industry in its emissions trading scheme or through a system of aircraft emission charges. Under the emissions trading scheme, which is due to start in January, power stations and large factories will have to match their carbon dioxide emissions with permits issued by governments. Any companies exceeding these allowances will need to buy spare ones from firms which have been able to cut their emissions.

The US amendment [2], which is believed to have the support of a number of other nations including Japan, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, has a strong chance of being passed by ICAO. The resolution is not legally binding on the EU, but rejecting it would reportedly be "unprecedented". However, in September the European Parliament voted strongly in favour of rejecting the US plans to prevent countries taking progressive unilateral action to tackle climate change [3].

Friends of the Earth's aviation campaigner Richard Dyer said:

"Once again the United States is trying to scupper international efforts to combat climate change. Earlier this month, Tony Blair described global warming as the world's greatest environmental challenge and promised to put it at the top of the international agenda. It's now time he used his special relationship with George Bush to get the US to stop putting the interests of US airlines ahead of the long-term security of the planet. America must start to take its international responsibilities seriously and wake up to the threat of global warming."

The aviation sector is the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions. In a recent report, an all party committee of MPs found that the predicted growth in aviation emissions would render UK Government targets to cut carbon emissions by 60% "meaningless and unachievable".[4]

Notes

1. In a speech on 4 September, Tony Blair described climate change as so far reaching in its impact and irreversible in its destructive power, that it alters radically human existence. He promised to put the issue at the top of the international agenda during his Presidency of the EU and chairing of the G8 summit next year. On aviation he said: "A big step in the right direction would be to see aviation brought into the EU emissions trading scheme in the next phase of its development. During our EU Presidency we will argue strongly for this".

2. Draft US resolution (PDF† format) (the final page of the appendix) see sections 2 (b) 3) -4) and (c) 1) and 2)

3.. On 16 September the European Parliament voted 307 to 20 in favour (206 abstentions

4. MPs attack Government aviation plans

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust