Aircraft GHG emissions aircraft : Regulations in making

International emissions from aviation transport are excluded from the targets se
t for developed countries by the Kyoto Protocol and the UNFCCC. The Internationa
l Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has been given the responsibility to tackle
the issue under the Kyoto Protocol. It is only recently that the ICAO had been
able to reach agreement on binding actions aimed at limiting greenhouse gas (GHG
) emissions.
This month, the 190 members of the ICAO approved a resolution in which they agre
ed to improve fuel economy and strive to limit GHG emissions from aircraft. Unde
r this resolution, the ICAO has set a goal to improve fuel efficiency 2 percent
per year through 2050, cap GHG emissions at 2020 levels, develop a global framew
ork for the use of alternative fuels, and propose a GHG emission standard for ai
rcraft engines by 2013. The ICAO also intends to develop a framework for market-
based measures and has issued guiding principles for the design and implementati
on these measures for the aviation sector. These principles aim to minimize mark
et distortions, ensure fair treatment to the aviation sector, ensure that doubl
e counting is avoided and that the efforts in the past and future efforts of ca
rriers in GHG mitigation are recognized. The member countries have been encourag
ed, but not bindingly mandated to submit action plans to the ICAO by the end of
June 2012. Such plans should indicate the reduction and reporting actions planne
d for international aviation.
Starting in 2012, the EU ETS requires most operators flying in and out of Europe
to reduce GHG emissions. The commercial operators that emit less than 10,000 me
tric tons of carbon per year or operate fewer than 243 flights per period for th
ree consecutive four-month periods are exempted. In 2013, the EU ETS aviation ca
p will be set at 3% below the established baseline, which is set at the sectorâ s emi
ssions between 2004 and 2006. The cap will then be reduced to 5% below the basel
ine. This translates to a required reduction in their emissions by more than 200
million tons of carbon equivalent. Operators will be awarded free allowances ba
sed on a formula called revenue per ton per kilometer. This is a measure of weig
ht and distance traveled. The operators will be initially required to purchase 1
5% of their necessary allowances. The International Air Transport Association (I
ATA)estimates that compliance with the EU ETS will cost the industry at least 2.
4 billion euros, or about $3 billion, a year.
There are few objections being raised to the proposed format. The business aviat
ion operators have complained that the EU ETS favors commercial airlines to the
disadvantage of smaller, private operators. Starting December 2009, American Air
lines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines, backed by the Air Transport Ass
ociation have requested for a judicial review in the British courts, challenging
their inclusion in the EU ETS. The airlines are arguing that the EU lacks juris
diction to regulate flights to and from the United States. On January 20, 2010,
the UK Government referred the matter to the European Court of Justice. The suit
is pending.