On the recordMay 9, 2012
in 2005 the European Union began their emissions trading scheme, which attempts to cap emissions of carbon dioxide from stationary sources within the EU. Starting in 2012, civil aviation operators departing from or landing in Europe began to be included in this emissions scheme. Under this program, any airline, including non-European airlines flying into and out of Europe, will be required to pay for EU emissions allowances. This change comes at a time when EU allowance prices continue to decline to a little over 6 euros, and the commission is considering proposals to drive up the prices. Allowances will be collected for the entirety of the flight, including portions in U.S. and international airspace. For example, this means a flight leaving from Los Angeles, CA, and flying to London would be taxed on the entirety of the flight, not just the fractional part of the flight that is over EU airspace. To put it another way, you would be taxed as if 100 percent of your flight was in EU airspace even though approximately only 7 percent of the flight actually was; that is, a flight originating in California here in the United States and flying to London. Very simply, the unilateral imposition of such a scheme on the United States and other countries is arbitrary, unfair, and a violation of international law.…
