About: aviation emissions
A majority of Europeans favour a tax on jet fuel
A recent survey suggests that Europeans believe airlines should be required to pay tax on aviation fuel. The European Commission should heed the public and not the aviation lobby, writes Ciarán Cuffe.OpinionPromoted content
Ambitious R&I investment will enable aviation to move towards climate neutrality
Bold investment is needed to steer aviation firmly on a course towards climate neutrality by 2050, Clean Sky’s Spring Event, Clean Aviation for a Competitive Green Recovery in Europe, heard on 22 April 2021. Axel Krein is the Executive Director...
Fuelling a European recovery: Time to end aviation fuel tax exemption
For years, EU countries have allowed airlines to avoid paying tax on polluting jet fuels. With the climate crisis escalating, it’s time for the EU to put an end to this tax exemption, write Ciarán Cuffe, Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg, Claude Gruffat, and Tilly Metz.
How Joe Biden could effortlessly boost aviation climate action
Europe is strengthening its carbon pricing system for aviation. After having fought the policy under the Obama administration, President Joe Biden has a chance to show that the world has changed and that the US is now ready to support real climate action, argues Jakop Dalunde.
The benefits of Sustainable Aviation Fuel go beyond CO₂
We already know that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) provides cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels, achieving up to 80% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to fossil jet fuels. But what is less well known is the fact that...
‘Flight shame’? Europeans have never flown as frequently
Many people claim they are flying less to protect the environment but the figures say otherwise. The aviation industry is doing better than ever and its emissions have more than doubled since 1990. EURACTIV Germany reports.
US airlines attack Germany’s planned air ticket tax
A group of US airlines has insisted that Germany’s plan to tax air tickets undermines a UN agreement on offsetting emissions from international aviation, a line of argument that is also casting doubt on the EU’s flagship emissions trading scheme (ETS).
Next Commission urged to launch ‘aviation package’
The next European Commission should make curbing aviation emissions a priority in its work programme for the next five years, according to lawmakers at a special summit on Thursday (20 June) dedicated to taxing flights.
Airbus now wants to remain in UK regardless of Brexit outcome
European planemaker Airbus wants to stay in the UK whatever the outcome of Brexit, as the country is "a very important pillar" for the company, new CEO Guillaume Faury said on Tuesday (21 May), amending negative comments made by his predecessor.
The UN is failing on all fronts to tackle the climate impact of flying
ICAO's proposed offsetting scheme for aviation emissions, known as CORSIA, will cover a mere 6% of projected CO2 emissions accumulated to 2050, writes Bill Hemmings, saying CORSIA fails the Paris Agreement test miserably.
To help fix EU budget, end aviation’s tax break
The European Commission’s move to make it administratively easier to calculate and charge VAT on passenger transport is welcome and long overdue, writes Bill Hemmings. But instead of abolishing VAT breaks for airline tickets, the EU plan will make a weekend trip treated the same as “necessities” such as foodstuffs, or pharmaceutical products, he warns.
‘We can live with this’: How Airbus was allowed to write its own climate rules
E-mail exchanges between the European Commission and Airbus show how the European aircraft manufacturer was offered privileged access to the EU decision-making process, allowing it to write its own environmental rules, writes Andrew Murphy.
Airbus exec.: EU ‘bonus’ for aviation biofuels may be too little
The European Commission’s proposal to incentivise the production of biofuels for aircraft with a 20% “multiplier” goes in the right direction, says Thierry Nowaczyk from Airbus. The question is whether this is enough to fill the price gap with fossil-based kerosene, he told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Emissions Trading System failures sour energy policy efforts
Doubts about the effectiveness of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) resurfaced on Tuesday (19 September) at an energy conference in Estonia, as a low carbon price continues to stymie energy market efforts.
International flights to stay free from EU carbon fees until 2021, MEPs vote
International flights to and from the EU will remain free from paying CO2 emissions permits but the exemption will cease in 2021 unless EU bodies meanwhile decide otherwise, the European Parliament's environment committee agreed on Tuesday (11 July).
Ryanair denies climate change because it doesn’t like the solutions
It’s no mystery why Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary dismisses evidence of climate change as ‘rubbish’, writes Andrew Murphy.
EU sees ‘strategic advantage’ of biofuels in aviation
In sectors like aviation where decarbonisation options are limited, there is a strategic advantage in encouraging the use of biofuels, a European Commission official has said.
EU to bolster air traffic management to address looming crisis
The European Commission will unveil this year two key documents to improve the efficiency of the airborne routes to tackle the capacity crunch of European airports.
The Brief: Commission must harness climate momentum
The European Commission has the chance, if it seizes the moment, to push through the higher renewable and energy efficiency targets that are needed to meet the EU’s Paris Agreement climate commitments.
ETS emissions fall as EU cuts surplus carbon quotas
Greenhouse gas emissions from the main sectors covered by the European carbon market fell between 2014 and 2015, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). EURACTIV's partner Journal de l'Environnement reports.
HFC deal big step in fighting climate change
They went to Kigali, Rwanda, to eliminate hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and take 0.5C out of future global warming, and the 170 countries that successfully negotiated an amendment to the Montreal protocol treaty agreed to get rid of 90% of them. Not bad for four days and three long nights of hard work.
Global deal to curb aviation emissions ‘not enough’, MEPs warn
European lawmakers on Wednesday (12 October) gave a lukewarm reception to the landmark deal reached by the 191 members of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to limit aviation emissions.
Global deal on aviation emissions puts EU scheme under pressure
The 191 members of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) sealed a deal on Thursday (6 October) aimed at ensuring carbon neutral growth for the booming sector after 2020, calling into question the future of the EU's existing scheme to reduce airlines emissions.