July 9, 2008 View all news Today's vote by the EU Parliament in favour of including aviation in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will do little to curb the growth in emissions from aviation, Friends of the Earth warned today. Friends of the Earth Europe Aviation Campaigner, Richard Dyer, said:"Aviation should be included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme - but the final deal is so weak it will have little impact on the rocketing growth in carbon dioxide pollution from flying. "The growing impact of air travel must be tackled if the EU is serious about showing global leadership in tackling climate change. Europe must strengthen the ETS - and press for international aviation and shipping emissions to be included in the next phase of the UN climate change treaty." MEPs voted today in a plenary vote to approve a compromise deal that was reached between the Council of Environment Ministers and the Parliament's Environment Committee last month. The proposal still has to be rubber stamped by the EU Council of Environment Ministers. The deal includes:- A 2012 start date. But Friends of the Earth says that this is an unnecessary delay - the EU Parliament voted for 2011.- Capping emission levels at 97 per cent of 2004/6 levels. However, this is approximately 90 per cent higher than 1990 levels - the EU ETS is designed to put the EU on track to meet its Kyoto protocol target of an 8 per cent cut in 1990 levels.- Auctioning of 15% of carbon permits. This means that 85 per cent of permits will be handed out for free. This is likely to result in unjustified windfall profits for airlines, as it did for the European power sector in the current ETS. Aviation should be treated like the power sector - which is likely to face 100 per cent auctioning post 2012. Categorised in: Climate Change