New Aviation Emissions Tax: European Union Leaves the World Behind
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by: GaryDiedrichs | Total views: 33 | Word Count: 363
Flying to or from Europe anytime soon? Beginning in 2012 you'll pay a little more, but the planet will thank you. A new law charges a greenhouse gas emissions tax in the European Union. The scheme was approved by the European parliament two years ago, but has been tied up in court until recently because of a lawsuit led by a U.S. aviation group.
This new tax is expected to boost each EU passenger fare from $3-$15. Revenues raised by the new tax, it's been calculated, could add up to $26 billion over the rest of the decade. The funds will be invested in efforts to slow global warming, and should spur greener technologies in the aviation industry, which is responsible for roughly 3 percent of all global carbon dioxide emissions.
Why did Europe decide to go it alone on the aviation carbon tax front? In a word, frustration. Under the auspices of the UN, the world has been negotiating an international aviation carbon cap-and-trade agreement for an entire decade.
Global airlines have lodged many objections to the EU's initiative, but none is stronger than its stipulation that a Europe-bound flight gets taxed from start to finish, not just when flying over Europe. Cries of outrage invoke national sovereignty and conflicting international aviation agreements. Some countries may try not paying the tax or may make further court appeals, according to the New York Times. Sabre-rattling has even extended to hints of a trade war directed at the EU.
Interesting to note, at least one airline is a firm supporter of the tax. Virgin Atlantic issued a statement saying the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is a "first step towards a future global solution ensuring aviation plays its part in meeting climate change targets" and worried that "its success is being seriously undermined."
What will really happen when the tax goes into effect will soon be known. But this much is clear: Europe intends to stand firm, believing that action to reduce global warming is too important to delay. When the rest of the world decides to act, they say, they'll happily make changes to their cap-and-trade system to help create a true multinational process for reducing dangerous aviation emissions.
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