Page 70 - European Energy Innovation - summer 2018 publication
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70 Summer 2018 European Energy Innovation
AVIATION EMISSIONS
What Europe can do to cut
aviation emissions
By Andrew Murphey, Aviation Manager, Transport & Environment
Aviation has the unenviable sector pays on average 48c a litre. The In recent years EU efforts to cut
distinction of being Europe’s sector is also mostly exempt from aviation emissions have focused
most challenging climate sales tax, again unlike other transport almost exclusively on measures
issue, with its emissions modes and indeed most goods adopted by ICAO. However ICAO
growing 23% since 2013 at time when and services. As well as artificially isn’t an agency suited to adopting
other sectors are flat lining or even inflating demand and disincentivising ambitious environmental measures,
declining. There are no easy solutions efficiencies, both these exemptions and its flagship policy of offsetting is
but if we’re to achieve a low carbon add up to loss for EU governments of ultimately doomed to fail.
economy then all sectors must about €40bn a year.
contribute and aviation cannot be That’s not to disparage ICAO, which
an exception. States have repeatedly failed has an impressive record on ensuring
to challenge these exemptions, safety and security in the sector.
The growth in aviation emissions isn’t continuing with a business-as-usual It’s to point out that there are some
inevitable and it’s been considerably growth at any cost approach. This is structural issues with how the agency
worsened as a result of the sector’s in marked contrast with other sectors operates. It lacks a legal enforcement
special treatment by governments, such as road transport and electricity mechanism, something essential if
and the fact that policy makers where there is an acceptance climate policies are to be applied
have spent so long pursuing false that decarbonisation will require fairly and its consensus-oriented
solutions. fundamental changes to how these decision-making severely diminishes
sectors work. its level of ambition. For example,
The special exemptions are last November ICAO’s Council could
numerous, but let’s start with some The best example of conservatism is not agree on sustainability criteria for
of the more egregious ones. Despite the current focus on development of alternative fuels and as result most
being the most carbon intensive an offsetting mechanism though the of the criteria, which were developed
means of transport, the sector pays UN’s aviation agency, the International over two years by a large group of
zero fuel tax – whereas the road Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). experts, were dropped. Now ICAO
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