Climate change – aviation: Greens welcome strong Parliament vote on aviation and climate proposals
UK Green MEP Caroline Lucas has welcomed a strong result (1) in the Environment Committee's vote on Peter Liese's proposals to include aviation in the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS):
"This vote demonstrates the Parliament's determination to get tough with the aviation sector. It is vital that MEPs stick to their guns on this crucial piece of legislation –a forerunner for full Emissions Trading Scheme Review –since the Council was shamefully keen to water down the Commission's already weak proposal.
In particular, I am delighted that my colleagues have reinstated their support for my proposal to limit the number of permits airlines can buy up from other industries: this is the only way we can truly ensure that the aviation sector itself begins to reduce its emissions, rather than pay its way out of the problem.
One of the key principles underpinning schemes like the ETS is that the cap should progressively reduce over time. It is therefore frankly outrageous that the Council is seeking to keep aircraft operators' initial allocation at the same level for all subsequent trading periods. Fortunately MEPs have voted to gradually reduce the provision of allowances to airlines in line with the reduction expected for other sectors.
Parliament also voted to adopt an emissions multiplier of at least 2, should effective, dedicated alternative measures fail to be brought in to address the aviation sector's full climate impact, which is considerably greater than the impact of CO2 alone.
It's crucial, too, that we have voted to increase the percentage of permits that are allocated through auctioning to 25% for the first two years of the scheme's operation –far short of the Greens preferred option of 100%, but still a significant improvement on the Council's meagre suggestion of 10%. MEPs have sought to increase the percentage in subsequent phases, possibly to as much as 100%. And they want the scheme to begin in 2011 rather than 2012, as we have no time to lose in taking action on such a rapidly-growing source of emissions.
The Council's Common Position is extremely worrying. Although MEPs have agreed to cooperate in trying to secure a quick second reading agreement in the interests of getting legislation in place as soon as possible, I will be urging colleagues to accept a compromise only if the Council makes significant moves towards the Parliament's more climate-friendly position during the forthcoming negotiations."
(1) Report adopted with 54 in favour, 4 against and 1 abstention.
