The aviation industry has welcomed the European Commission’s decision to suspend its Emissions Trading System (ETS) for flights into and out of Europe for a period of one year.
EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, said the decision to "stop the clock" on ETS would allow time for the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), to finalise a global scheme
However, she stressed the EU was not willing to wait indefinitely and that if progress within ICAO was not forthcoming at next autumn’s ICAO Assembly, the inclusion of international aviation in the ETS would be reactivated.
IATA director general and CEO, Tony Tyler, said the Commission’s decision "clearly recognises the progress that has been made towards a global solution for managing aviation’s carbon emissions by ICAO."
Intra-EU flights are still included in the ETS.
