Europe’s Emissions Trading System: Questioning its Raison d’Etre

While much has been written about the legality of Europe’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) few authors have questioned its raison d’Etre. However, if the objective of the ETS is to reduce the European Union’s (EU’s) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from aviation, it must be noted that those emissions are unlikely to decline as long as the EU is permitting the subsidization of its jet-operating, short-haul, low-cost airlines. In 2008 the EU, having been warned in 1999 of the significant impact of airline industry emissions on climate change, decided to include aviation in its ETS. The previous year, the same authorities had published “Questions and Answers” to counsel local authorities on how to use incentives to attract low-cost airlines to regional airports. Before the EU embraces an attempt to reduce the GHG footprint of foreign intercontinental airlines serving Europe, it should focus on curtailing one of the fastest growing sources of GHG emissions: the pollution caused by using subsidized jets on short-haul routes within the EU. It should also implement the Single European Skies initiative as such an action lies fully within its purview and has significant potential to reduce aviation-caused GHG emissions over Europe. The EU does not have to wait until the explosive emissions from its rapidly growing low-cost airline industry completely shred its credibility with respect to GHG reductions. It can start by addressing those issues entirely within its jurisdiction, and the whole planet will be better off.