Law binds aviation to contribute to CO2 goals from 2012

Airlines will have to start paying for their share of air pollution in 2012.

An agreement has been finalised between the European Parliament and the EU governments to include aviation in the bloc’s Emission Trading Scheme from that time.

Brussels said greenhouse gas emissions from this sector are increasing faster than from any other in the EU.

But howls of protest are coming from the industry.

The companies say including them in the Trading Scheme in which emission permits are bought and sold, will be “ecologically counter-productive”.

They complain it will harm their ability to compete internationally;

They will have to pass the costs on to customers.

The parliament voted overwhelmingly to force airlines to cut CO2 first by three percent, then five percent from 2013 onwards.

From 2012, they will begin paying for 15 percent of their permits, contributing to Europe’s climate change targets, as many other sectors are already doing.

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