Paying The Environmental Cost of Flying?

The European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) is designed to create financial incentives to reduce the carbon emissions from aircraft.  The system, as proposed, calculates these emissions from the engine start up in the originating city until the aircraft lands in the EU.  It works the same way for the flight back.

The United States and most countries outside of the EU feel that the EU-ETS is an overreach of the EU powers.  The US acknowledges the EU’s right to regulate its own airspace but not sovereign airspace outside of the EU.

The EU has been working on a solution to aircraft carbon emissions since 1997.  This was when it was proposed at International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).  ICAO has announced that it supports market-based reforms but has not agreed on a plan to implement these reforms.  ICAO is essentiality the United Nations of the aviation world and is slow moving when it comes to major change.  The EU’s overreaching ETS shows that it is tired of waiting on ICAO.

The EU has temporarily deferred the EU-ETS on operators outside of the EU.  This is for one year, until the 2013 ICAO General Assembly meets.  The EU said they would reinstate their ETS if ICAO fails to act.  ICAO needs to move forward on a global solution.  If a global solution cannot be reached, they need the EU to back off the carbon calculations outside of their airspace.  Ultimately, a global ETS needs to be established that creates a market/incentive to reduce pollution.

Emission trading systems or Cap and Trade programs have been around since the 1980’s.  The best example is with our current wetland laws.  In the US, you cannot destroy a wetland without remediation.  You can do this by creating a new wetland in another location.  You can also buy wetland credits from someone who has built a wetland.  This is expensive and cost-prohibitive.  This cost creates a barrier that keeps wetlands from being destroyed.  Before the DTW McNamara terminal was built, Wayne County had to fill in acres of wetland.  To do this, they agreed to build Crosswinds Marsh.  Wayne County overbuilt this site in order to gain wetland credits.  These credits were sold to developers to recover construction costs and some were used to cover other Wayne County projects.

These types of programs are designed to create a reward system for reducing pollution.  Pollution taxes, permitting and fines can only go so far in preventing pollution.  I feel that Cap and Trade programs are an important next step in environmental policy.  There purpose should only be to promote technologies that reduce pollution and reward companies that invest in these technologies.  My biggest problem with the EU-ETS is the regulation of non-sovereign airspace and the unknown use of the government collected fines/taxes. 

Another reason that I support an aviation ETS is that there is an environmental cost to flying an aircraft.  Thousands of pounds of fuel do not vanish when they burn in an engine.  They contribute to our overall problem of too much carbon and other chemicals in the atmosphere.  ETS/Cap and Trade programs begin to identify and address this cost.