Aviation trade war fears recede as UN looks to broker emissions deal
UN-backed meetings are being held to produce a global agreement on curbing airline emissions.
They follow a US decision to reject Brussels’ ruling to apply its emissions trading scheme (ETS) to foreign airlines both when using EU countries’ airports and while flying in non-EU airspace. The ruling led to murmurings that this could cause a trade war.
Alternative emissions policies are being worked on by a 15-nation panel of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which is gathering for a third time before early April.
Under the ETS, airlines would trade credits for pollution from flights under a system similar to the cap-and-trade proposals urged by US environmentalists. The EU added that airlines should cut emissions by 5% by 2020.