Aviation contributes to global climate change, and its contribution is increasing. While the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3 % from 1990 to 2002, emissions from international aviation increased by almost 70 %.
In spite of significant improvement in aircraft technology and operational efficiency this has not been enough to neutralise the effect of increased traffic, and the growth in emissions is likely to continue in the next decades.
Overall, the total annual distance covered by the global civil aircraft fleet was forecast to grow by 149% from 2002 to 2030, with the seat-kilometres forecast to grow by 229%.
The case with the most technological advance (that with $100/tonne CO2 cost) was forecast to produce 22% less CO2 in 2030 than the case without the extra incentives to technology development.
However, even this case was forecast to produce nearly twice as much CO2 in 2030 as in 2002.
Forecasts of CO2 emissions from civil aircraft for IPCC, DTI, November 2006
To compare: someone flying from London to New York and back generates roughly the same level of emissions as the average person in the EU does by heating their home for a whole year. Without action, the growth in emissions from flights from EU airports will by 2012 cancel out more than a quarter of the 8% emission reduction the EU-15 must achieve to reach its Kyoto Protocol target.
After a public consultation in early 2005 to which almost 200 organisations and 5,600 individual citizens responded and extensive analysis, the EU commision proposed to bring aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Compared with alternatives such as a fuel tax or charge, this approach provides the same environmental benefit at a lower cost to society - or a higher environmental benefit for the same cost. In other words the impact on ticket prices, airline companies and the overall economy will be smaller for a given environmental improvement.
The proposed directive (unofficial advance version) treat all airlines equally, whether EU-based or foreign. From 2011 all domestic and international flights between EU airports will be covered and from 2012 all international flights.
The commission estimates that by 2020 CO2 savings of as much as 46%,or 183 million tonnes could be achieved each year compared with business as usual.
Currently the ETS covers +12,000 large and medium-sized industrial facilities in EU25 responsible of 42% of EU total carbon dioxide emissions (2001). See all facilities on the map with the ExploreOurPla.net CO2 Emitter extension.
EU: Press release, Questions & Answers on aviation & climate change
transportenvironment.org: EU aviation emissions scheme ‘too weak’
iata.org: IATA Critical of EC Plans to Bring Aviation into European Emissions Trading Scheme
treehugger.com: Europe Flags a Carbon Bank for Aircraft CO2 Emissions
FOE: Government Minister attacks aviation industry over Climate Change
Picture credit: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
