The European Commission is proposing legislation to bring the aviation sector into the European Union's pioneering emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) in order to control the rapid growth in CO2 emissions from air travel. Until now airlines have not been subject to the constraints on energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions that other businesses have to live with. Emissions from domestic flights are covered by the Kyoto Protocol’s emission targets for developed countries, but international aviation – which makes up the vast majority of flights - is not. In addition, jet fuel for international flights has historically been exempted from taxation. Hence the need for policy action. The film was shot in Belgium, UK and the Netherlands. It includes a graphic presentation of the European ETS as it applies to air companies, with interviews with Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for the Environment, and Jos Delbeke, the European Commission director responsible for climate change policy. Scientific experts explain how aviation can still improve the fuel efficiency of modern aircraft, and British Airports Authority and a UK-based air company Easy Jet give their opinions on the proposal.
20/12/2006 | REF : I-053031 | 10:02