UN Aviation Body Opposes EU Emission Trading Scheme Extension

The United Nations' aviation industry group voiced strong opposition to the European Union (EU) plan to include non-EU carriers in its Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) on Wednesday.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which coordinates aviation industry development among its 190 member states, adopted a resolution at a meeting held in Montreal, which for the first time reveals clearly its opposition to the EU move.

The ICAO urged the EU and its member states to work together with the international community to address aviation emissions.

The decision was based on a working paper, "Inclusion of International Civil Aviation in the EU ETS and Its Impact," presented jointly by 26 ICAO member states, including China.

The working paper points out the EU passed the legislation to extend its ETS to the aviation industry from next year unilaterally and without regard to non-EU states' concerns.

The ICAO believes that the EU move violated a cardinal principle of state sovereignty laid down in the Convention of the organization, which stipulates that "the contracting States recognize that every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory."

It added that the EU move also violated the provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Ma Tao, a representative of the People's Republic of China at the ICAO Council, said the EU's move to include international aviation into its ETS contravened relevant international laws and negated efforts made to tackle aviation emissions by other states, especially developing states.

"China opposes such unilateral actions firmly," he said. "As for the limitation and reduction of international aviation emissions, China believes the most feasible way is to strive for agreement or consensus through multilateral consultation and negotiations."

Representatives of India, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria and other states, which jointly presented the working paper, echoed China's stand at the meeting.

They pointed out that EU's unilateral action ignored non-EU states' obligations and concerns, took no consideration of different social conditions and economic circumstances of states and would undermine the sustainable growth of international aviation.

The Council's eight EU member states defended the EU position, opposed the resolution and challenged the legality of the working paper.

After fierce debates, the Council finally adopted the working paper, the resolution and a declaration.

Ma said after the meeting that China had attached great importance to energy conservation and emissions reductions as well as tackling climate change in recent years.

With the constant growth of air traffic, he said, China also had taken proactive action in the conservation of aviation energy and emissions, which had produced remarkable results.

"After reducing the energy intensity (fuel consumed per revenue tonne kilometer) and carbon intensity (CO2 emitted per revenue tonne kilometer) by 9 percent in 2010 compared with the 2005 level, China's civil aviation has set its 2020 goal at 22 percent against the 2005 baseline," he said.