Communication on Reducing the Climate Change Impact of Aviation

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• Communication on Reducing the Climate Change
  Impact of Aviation
• Directorate C Air and Chemicals
• DG Environment
• European Commission

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Overview

• The problem climate change
• Aviations impact on climate change
• EU policy
• Next steps

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The climate change challenge
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The climate change challenge
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Climate impacts of air transport

• Direct and/or indirect effects from
• CO2
• NOx through effects on ozone and methane
• Water vapour triggering contrails and cirrus
  clouds
• Sulphate and soot aerosols
• Overall  radiative forcing  is about twice as
  high as that due to aviation CO2 emissions
  (without cirrus effects)

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Cirrus cloud effect potentially significant
Photo Nasa
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EU GHG emissions by sector
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Growth may offset Kyoto efforts
By 2012, aviation GHG emissions could offset
more than 25 of the cuts required to meet the
European Communitys targets under the Kyoto
Protocol.
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Distribution by route category
Estimated fuel burn - all in- and outbound
flights (2004)
Source EUROCONTROL
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The current political context

• High fuel and oil prices
• Economic difficulties for some airlines
• BUT
• Emissions from air transport is increasing
• Recent dramatic events demonstrate the
  potentially huge costs of climate change

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Aviation emissions under the UNFCCC and ICAO

• UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol
• Only domestic CO2 emissions are included in
  targets under Kyoto Protocol
• Obligation to pursue the limitation or reduction
  of emissions from aviation, working through ICAO
• ICAO
• Decided not to pursue a new international
  agreement on aviation emissions trading
• Endorsed the concept of open emissions trading
  for aviation through
• voluntary emissions trading
• integrated trading (incorporation into States
  existing trading schemes)

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Key political mandates

• 6th Environment Action Programme Community
  action if no action in ICAO by 2002
• Council Conclusions COP-10
• Reiterates invitation to Commission to make
  proposals in 2005

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Adoption of Communication

• Communication adopted 27 September 2005
• Informed by
• Study on aviation and emissions trading (July
  2005)
• Web consultation 11 March 6 May 2005
• Stakeholder meeting in GreenWeek 1 June 2005

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Building on existing measures

• More research into cleaner air transport
• Improving air traffic management
• Towards more consistent application of energy
  taxation

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Further action needed

• Options
• En-route emissions charges
• Emissions trading

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Emissions charges

• Commission view that en-route emissions charges
  are compatible with international law but this
  remains contentious outside Europe
• Charges strongly opposed by industry

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Emissions Trading

• Environmentally and economically efficient
• Concept endorsed by ICAO
• No constraints in Chicago Convention, bilateral
  air service agreements etc.
• Considered preferable by airlines and airports

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Recommendations

• Comprehensive approach
• Proposes to take steps towards including aviation
  in the EU ETS as soon as feasible
• Alongside continuing work on
• research into greener air transport
• improvements in air traffic managment
• removing legal barriers for taxing aircraft fuel
• improvements in technical design standards

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Key design parameters

• ENTITY Aircraft operators
• EMISSIONS COVERAGE CO2 and non-CO2 impacts
  should be addressed to the extent possible
• SCOPE In environmental terms, the preferred
  option is to cover all flights departing from EU
  airports
• ALLOCATION Harmonised allocation methodology

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Council Conclusions

• Adopted in December 2005
• Recognised that, from an economic and
  environmental point of view, the inclusion of the
  aviation sector in the EU ETS seems to be the
  best way forward
• Urges the Commission to bring forward a
  legislative proposal by end 2006
• Welcomes the creation of a working group and sets
  out some preliminary guiding principles

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Aviation Working Group

• Set up under the ECCP II
• Included representatives from Member States,
  industry and NGOs
• Advised the Commission on the design of the
  scheme
• Report published on 28 April available on the
  Commission website

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Next steps

• Commission in listening and thinking mode
• welcome views and contributions from all
  stakeholders
• Impact assessment ongoing
• Report on review of ETS by 30 June 2006
• Contribute to ICAO efforts to develop guidance on
  emissions trading
• Aim for legislative proposal end of 2006
• EU institutions likely to take 1-3 years to adopt
  the proposal.

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• THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
• For further information
• http//www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/a
  viation_en.htm