Big airline polluters likely to increase their CO2 emissions post-Covid, unless this is better regulated

Date added: 2 April, 2020

The carbon emissions of EU airlines grew in 2019. There will be a steep fall in their emissions for an unknown amount of time, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But air passenger numbers repeatedly broke records in the aftermath of global shocks such as the 2008 financial crisis, the September 11 attacks, the Gulf War and the SARS outbreak. This will happen again this time, unless aviation carbon is taxed and regulated. Governments must break that cycle of crisis+growth by sticking with the European Green Deal commitment to rein in emissions growth. In Europe political momentum has been gathering to end both airlines’ tax exemption and the free pollution permits they receive in the EU’s ETS. The EU would like airlines to use lower carbon fuels, if these can be located (they are scarce and expensive). The EU is moving to curb airline emissions due to serious doubts over the UN’s controversial/ineffective CORSIA scheme, which will allow airlines to continue increasing their CO2 emissions by buying ultra-cheap offsets instead of reducing their own CO2.
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Big airline polluters grew emissions in 2019 ahead of expected COVID drop

Brussels, 1 April 2020
Link to PR: https://transenv.eu/2w49Ivi

From Transport & Environment (T&E)

Fourteen of the 20 biggest polluting airlines grew their CO2 emissions within Europe in 2019 – according to official EU figures released today – ahead of an expected fall this year.[1] In the past the 20 airlines’ emissions accounted for almost three-quarters of all airline CO2 within Europe.

Transport & Environment (T&E) said aviation pollution is likely to grow again once COVID restrictions are lifted unless the sector is required to take up green technology and pay taxes on its fuel.

The 14 carriers released an extra 1.6 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 last year. The European Commission will publish the airline sector’s total emissions later this month.

For full list of 20 biggest emitters, see here.

Andrew Murphy, aviation manager at T&E, said: “Airlines grew their emissions right up until this crisis. But this current bust will be followed by another boom in CO2 so long as aviation emissions remain untaxed and unregulated. Governments must break that cycle by sticking with the European Green Deal commitment to rein in emissions growth.”

While airlines’ emissions will fall this year due to COVID groundings, they are expected to bounce back once the global health crisis has passed. Passenger numbers have repeatedly broken records in the aftermath of global shocks such as the 2008 financial crisis, the September 11 attacks, the Gulf War and the SARS outbreak, industry data [2] shows.

T&E said governments should support aviation workers through the current crisis, but airlines must be required to start paying taxes and use cleaner fuels once conditions improve.

In Europe political momentum has been gathering to end both airlines’ tax exemption and the free pollution permits they receive in the bloc’s emissions trading system. The European Commission last week said it was exploring requiring airlines to start using cleaner fuels such as synthetic e-fuels.

Europe is moving to curb airline emissions due to serious doubts over a controversial UN offsetting scheme for aviation. Known as Corsia, the scheme will allow airlines to continue growing their emissions by buying ultra-cheap offsets – where they invest in environmental projects, such as a hydrodam project which later collapsed, instead of reducing their own carbon footprint.

ENDS

Notes to editors:
[1] The 20 airlines were the biggest emitting carriers in 2018. In 2019, five of these airlines – Alitalia, TUI Airways, British Airways, Eurowings, and Norwegian Airlines – decreased their emissions. One carrier, SAS, did not report its pollution.

[2] Boeing analysis of passenger numbers from UN aviation agency ICAO and airlines’ trade association IATA.
Boeing, Commercial Market Outlook 2019–2038, page 19:
https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/commercial/market/commercial-market-outlook/assets/downloads/cmo-sept-2019-report-final.pdf

For more information, contact:
Andrew Murphy,
Aviation manager
Transport & Environment
andrew.murphy@transportenvironment.org
Tel: +32 (0)485 00 12 14

Support airlines in crisis, but on condition they start paying tax and take up green technology – T&E

EU transport ministers discussing Covid-related financial aid to airlines must make bailouts in these hard times conditional on carriers starting to pay tax once conditions improve and taking up green technology, sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E) has said. The ministers discussed measures to shore up the aviation sector in an emergency meeting via video conference today.

By Eoin Bannon (Transport & Environment)

March 18, 2020

The aviation industry employs tens of thousands of people across the EU, and financial support must be prioritised for the paychecks of workers whose jobs are in danger, T&E said.

But state aid to airlines should only be approved if countries ensure they will later start to pay tax and contribute to severely strained public coffers. Carriers have long been exempt from fuel taxation and VAT on international flights in Europe. Their jet fuel tax exemption is valued at €27 billion a year. They have also been slow to use cleaner fuels such as synthetic kerosene and waste-based biofuels.

Andrew Murphy, aviation manager at T&E, said: “Airlines calling for public support in bad times should accept they need to start paying taxes in good times. EU governments should make airline bailouts conditional on carriers paying fuel, ticket and other taxes once the crisis has passed. They should also require airlines to start using low-carbon fuels once conditions improve. Public money should support the technologies of the future and not reinforce the mistakes of the past.”

https://www.transportenvironment.org/press/support-airlines-crisis-condition-they-start-paying-tax-and-take-green-technology-te

Big airline polluters likely to increase their CO2 emissions post-Covid, unless this is better regulated

Big airline polluters grew emissions in 2019 ahead of expected COVID drop

Support airlines in crisis, but on condition they start paying tax and take up green technology – T&E

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