IP/05/1024
Brussels, 29 July 2005
Climate change: public consultation underlines support for tackling aviation’s contribution
A public internet consultation conducted by the European Commission has shown broad support among the aviation industry, NGOs and citizens for taking action to limit the aviation sector’s growing impact on climate change. The results of the two-month consultation are published today. The Commission is also publishing a new study which shows that it would be feasible to include airlines in the EU greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme. This is one of the options that the Commission is considering as it prepares to put forward an EU strategy for tackling aviation’s contribution to climate change. This strategy is scheduled for after the summer break.
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “The message from the many citizens and organisations who expressed their views is very clear: it is time for the air transport sector to start contributing to the fight against climate change. And there is an understanding and acceptance that this must happen even if it may lead to a modest rise in ticket prices.”
The issue
Aircrafts contribute to climate change in many ways, of which the emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) is the best understood and quantified. Aviation’s share of overall EU greenhouse gas emissions is rapidly increasing. From 1990 to 2003, EU greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation rose by 73%, corresponding to annual growth of 4.3%. While new technologies may bring significant improvements in the decades to come, these will need to be developed and introduced much faster than at present if they are to match the expected growth in air traffic. With the world passenger aircraft fleet likely to double by 2020, the growth in emissions could continue if no further action is taken.
Public consultation
Almost 5,600 individuals and 200 organisations submitted responses to the internet consultation carried out during the spring. A large majority of those citizens responding (82%) fully agreed with the policy objective of including the air transport sector in efforts to mitigate climate change. Nine out of ten fully or rather agreed with the objective of strengthening economic incentives for air transport operators to reduce their impact on the climate. Only 13% did not agree that increasing the price of air transport would be acceptable if it is necessary to reduce its impact. Organisations such as airports, airlines and NGOs also believe that action is required: 99.5% of respondents fully or rather agreed that the air transport sector should be included in efforts to mitigate climate change, although opinions differ on how this should be done.
Study on emissions trading
The Commission is currently looking at the options available and in particular those which can strengthen airlines’ economic incentive to reduce emissions. To complement previous studies on fuel taxation and emissions charges, the Commission had a study carried out into the possibility of including aviation in the EU greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme (ETS).
The study, whose final report is published today, shows that including
aviation in the ETS would be feasible. It analyses different possibilities for
doing so and gives indications of the possible impacts. It shows that flights
from the EU to non-EU countries are responsible for more than 60% of all
emissions from aircraft taking off from EU airports. The study concludes that it
would be legally possible for the EU to include these emissions in the scheme
provided that all aircraft operators are treated in the same way, regardless of
nationality.
Both reports are available at :