Air, Business, Freight News, Logistics

Emissions Trading Scheme will cost millions, say shippers

[ January 10, 2012   //   Chris ]

The Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG) has repeated its call for the EU not to implement the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for aviation. ETS, which is scheduled to take effect this month, will spark a divisive and ultimately costly dispute with the international community and the global aviation industry, including the air cargo sector and its customers, it said.

The call follows the European Court of Justice decision on 21 December on Airlines for America’s legal challenge to the unilateral application of the EU ETS to international aviation and which effectively paves the way for ETS to be implemented in 2012.
Other countries, including the US, India and China, have urged the EU to suspend application ETS and to return to multilateral efforts to develop international C02 emission standards within ICAO and other appropriate international fora.
Chris Welsh, secretary general of the Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF) -one of the GACAG’s four founding members – and chairman of the GACAG Sustainability of the Air Cargo Industry Task Force said, “We believe the EU should fully support the agreed ICAO framework for developing appropriate market based measures, including the possibility of emissions trading schemes, voluntary and other efficiency based measures. The absence of an international framework will be chaotic and will cost the air cargo industry and its customers tens of millions of dollars.”