Campaigns

New Ground 69
Autumn 2005

SERA, Sustainable aviation and EU leadership

On the 6th of September, SERA hosted a second high level dinner discussion on Sustainable Aviation and EU leadership. Following on from the dinner in March, the event boasted an impressive turnout of around 20 European politicians and opinion formers from government bodies, NGOs and industry, including ministers and senior representatives from the Netherlands, France, Austria, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the European Commission. The Minister for Aviation, Karen Buck, MP gave the opening speech.

SERA supports UK Government efforts to bring intra-EU flights within the EU emissions trading scheme. In the meantime, SERA believes the UK should take unilateral action by increasing Air Passenger Duty (APD) for long-haul flights, generally used by higher income groups. In addition, SERA is calling on Labour to put climate change at the heart of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on poverty reduction. We therefore welcome Franco-German proposals to ring fence aviation tax revenue to boost funding towards these goals.

The purpose of the dinner was to try to galvanise opinion on the issue of the inclusion of aviation within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, a stated focus of the UK government for its presidency of the EU. The discussion was frank and lively and a wide scope of different issues were debated, ranging from the timescale for action, the level and method of allocating permits, the value of a target for reduction and the use of other instruments.

Although there was plenty of disagreement, there was also a great deal of consensus, especially on the need for urgent action and the importance of working together at EU level with all stakeholders concerned.

It was widely agreed that aviation is going to be an increasingly important issue which will need to be brought into emissions legislation, although the timing and the way in which the emissions are traded will be difficult and contentious issues.

All in all, it was a successful event that brought the debate forward, and SERA look forward to working with all the parties to continue to push on this important issue.

Johanna Lindstrom, Events Officer, SERA