Source: Wikimedia Commons/Julian Herzog
By RTCC Staff
A lawsuit against the EU is being prepared by Chinese airlines and the country’s Air Transport Association (CATA) in response to EU proposals to include international flights in its carbon trading initiative, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Under the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), all airlines flying to or from Europe as of 2012 will be included in the carbon trading system and will be required to buy permits for 15 per cent of their emissions.
CATA and a number of major Chinese airlines are in the process of filing a lawsuit against the EU, according to CATA deputy secretary general Chai Haibo.
If the quotes printed in the China Economic Daily are correct, it will be the second such action after US airlines filed papers with the European Court of Justice in July, 2011.
“We hope the EU will avoid this unilateral move, solve international aviation emissions issues on the basis of mutual respect and consensus, and promote the sustainable development of the industry,” an anonymous official with China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) told Xinhua.
European airlines have also added their voice to concerns with British Airways calling for more clarity in an exclusive interview with RTCC.org.