Thursday, August 29, 2024 The Guardian has exposed that US airlines, through a lobbying effort led by Airlines for America and its member companies, actively opposed European Commission initiatives to broaden the scope of pollution monitoring for aircraft emissions. This resistance emerged during a secretive May gathering with the Commission’s climate team, which went unrecorded in the EU transparency register. During this confidential meeting, US airlines represented by Airlines for America argued against including international flights in the new rules designed to track emissions beyond carbon dioxide, particularly highlighting the scientific uncertainties about the climate effects of contrails.
Despite the low-key nature of the meeting, the Commission noted it was not obligated to disclose details of such lower-level discussions. Documents obtained through freedom of information requests show that US airlines, via Airlines for America, objected to monitoring pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, which significantly contribute to global warming but are less understood than CO2 effects. They contended that the existing scientific data does not adequately represent the impacts of these non-CO2 emissions, a position some climate scientists agree with, suggesting the science is too immature for regulatory action.
In response, the European Commission is moving forward with regulations under its emissions trading system to mandate the monitoring, reporting, and verification of these pollutants, with measures affecting flights within Europe by 2025 and extending to international flights by 2027. However, US airlines, through Airlines for America, have vowed to use every available means to block these regulations, arguing they would create unjust extraterritorial consequences. European budget airlines have disputed this stance, claiming that excluding long-haul flights from these rules would distort competition and might even violate legal norms.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has supported the American viewpoint, questioning the efficacy of broadening emissions reporting beyond Europe. Amid these discussions, some experts are pushing for aggressive actions to reduce flight demand, such as imposing taxes on frequent flyers and ending industry subsidies, aiming to lessen the environmental impact of aviation. The European Commission asserts that its upcoming proposals will strive to balance the varied and sometimes conflicting views of all stakeholders involved.
.
