December 18, 2009
American, Continental, United Sue UK Over Aviation Emissions Plan
Three top U.S. airlines, along with the Air Transport Association, have sued the UK to stop the first stage of implementation of EU emission trading regulations for aviation, reports Business Week.
American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines and the ATA stated in the complaint that the rules were in violation of a 2007 bilateral air transport agreement between the U.S. and EU.
The lawsuit officially was filed against the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, reports Aviation Week.
The EU’s new emissions trading system caps CO2 emissions, requiring polluters, including airlines, to purchase offsets in order to continue operating within EU airspace. Earlier this year, the UK began allowing its Environment Agency to fine UK airlines that don’t the emissions standards.
For all of the European Union, starting in 2012, CO2 emissions from aviation will be capped at the average 2004/06 levels. This will be applied to all flights arriving and departing EU airports. A group of six associations representing European airlines published a study that found airlines would have to spend over $60 billion between 2011 and 2022 buying up credits from more fuel-efficient industries to meet their quotas.
U.S. airlines argue that a flight from London to the U.S. would occur nearly exclusively outside of EU airspace.
Yet Virgin chairman Richard Branson said he is willing to pay a carbon tax on his aviation business, and he thinks other airlines should too.
Nancy Young, ATA’s Vice President of environmental affairs, told Aviation Week that “virtually all non-EU states” oppose EU’s unilateral approach to aviation emissions.
The ATA has repeatedly called for a global solution to limit aviation emissions.
The lawsuit may eventually be referred by the UK court system to the European Court of Justice, Aviation Week reported.
Environmental management & energy news delivered daily to your inbox
Advertisers
Trends in Sustainability Performance Management
Take the lead on sustainability. - Take the lead in your industry. >>
Sustainable Agricultural Partnerships Summit
Aug 10-11, San Francisco - Measure & Reduce Water & Carbon Impacts. >>
Can you take the pain out of carbon reporting?
See how with CA ecoSoftware. >>
Recent Daily News [ see all ]
- 07/29/2010
- 07/28/2010
- 07/27/2010
- CEC Throws Out Edison’s Claim to RECs from Mountain View Wind Projects
- Arizona’s Energy-Efficiency Ruling to Save Utility Customers $9B over Next Decade
- IBM Partnerships to Boost Energy Efficiency in Buildings
- Brea to Cut City’s Energy Use 40%
- Zotos Mfg Plant Gets Nod to Build 3.3-MW Wind Power Project
- Roundup – Porsche, UL Environment, EPA
- Green Rating Systems: Which One is Right for You?
- Russian City Saves $26,000 Annually with LED Street Lighting
- Robert Brunner On Solar Power For Handheld Devices
- HVAC Energy Reduction SW Saves Six NY Buildings 9.9M kWh Annually
- Roundup – Hormel Foods, BMW, Microsoft
- Green Marketing: How It Works and When to Use It
- Wind Power Installations Drop to 2007 levels
- EV Roundup: Nissan, Chevrolet, Enterprise, PG&E, Schneider Electric, Raser
- No Renewable Electricity Standard in Reid Energy Bill
- Vermont Resort Cuts Carbon Footprint with ‘Cow Power’
- CCS Technologies to Capture 65% and 90% of CO2 Emissions at Coal Power Plants
- Fuel Cell Power Plant Installed at Frozen Food Processing Plant
- Green Building Talked Up By Perkins & Will’s Peter Busby
- Large Wind Projects Get Ready to Roll in Arizona, California
- Why the BP Oil Spill is a Tragedy of the Commons, Part II
- Senators Push for a Renewable Energy Standard
- Roundup – GM, Seventh Generation, Wal-Mart
- Consumers Prefer to Charge their EVs at Home
- UPS Sustainability Report: Sets Goal to Improve Fuel Efficiency by 20%
- IT Sector Reduces Energy Costs by $2B, CO2 Emissions by 32 Million Tons
- Naval Base Lighting Retrofits Save Nearly $60,000 Annually
- TIAA-CREF CEO On Building Energy Efficiency
Charts [ see all ]
White Papers [ see all ]
- Your Customers Want Green!
- Eco-Competitiveness: Safeguarding Profitability and the World's Natural Resources
- Global Trends In Sustainability Performance Management
- The EPA's Mandatory Reporting Rule
- A Business Framework for Excelling at Enterprise Carbon Management
- Your Customers Want Green!
- What's On Your Sustainability Dashboard?
- 9 Ways to Reduce Energy Costs
Comments and Discussions
Matt Perry on Green Marketing: How It Works and When to Use It
"Hi Emily, Thank you for your article. Your background in science really comes through...."
Girard Gurgick on No Renewable Electricity Standard in Reid Energy Bill
"Does any one know why just passing a simple carbon tax is not the primary..."
Baltazar Perez on Green Marketing: How It Works and When to Use It
"Great article Emily and certainly environmental issues should be at the forefront..."
Tony Nocito on EPA Supports Superfund Tax Reinstatement
"Each one of the industries mentioned in this article are laden with asbestos. All of the..."
Terrence Murray on Wind Power Installations Drop to 2007 levels
"We had been hearing for a couple of months now from our project finance banking..."
Martyn on Green Marketing: How It Works and When to Use It
"There’s one area of corporate Greenwash that really irks me and that’s the..."
sandee loeffler on Green Marketing: How It Works and When to Use It
"We have just released a new packaging item for our plants to replace the 15 tons..."







Reader Comments
Of course they prefer a “global solution” – since it will take years for such a solution to be implemented. Great job EU for tackling this issue and forcing the airline companies (except Virgin, apparently) to show their true colors regarding climate change.
Custom Organic Shirts | January 4th, 2010
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2245118&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
We hope to work towards the production of Bio Jet Fuel in the sub tropical regions.
CKWR | January 9th, 2010