Briefing

ICAO Council discussion on including aviation in the EU-ETS

October 31, 2011

On 2 November, the governing body of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is scheduled to discuss a paper put forward by 26 countries calling for the adoption of a joint declaration against the inclusion of aviation emissions in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) from 2012, originally signed in New Delhi on 30 September.

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The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is a programme aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions by trading and selling emissions permits on a free market. In the first phase of the scheme, around 10,000 major land-based emitters such as power stations, and metal factories were included.

Airlines will be included in the EU ETS as of 1 January 2012. Airlines will have to surrender allowances covering the emissions of all flights they have operated in a given year that departed and/or arrived at an EU airport.

The background briefing explains events leading up to the declaration and links to a legal case brought by three American airlines against the EU.

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