Revealed, on Thursday 18 March, by the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E ), a study requested by the European Commission highlights weaknesses in the international CORSIA scheme to reduce emissions from the aviation sector.
This study, which has not yet been officially published, aims to provide guidance to the Commission on the economic, social and environmental impacts of different options for implementing CORSIA in the context of the forthcoming revision of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) rules for aviation (see EUROPE 12574/18).
This sector has been covered by the ETS since 2012, but with a derogation until 2023 for flights to and from the European Economic Area (EEA) (see EUROPE 11924/5).
As the Commission presents its proposal for a revision in June, one of the options it is considering is to replace the ETS with CORSIA for aviation. This is a possibility that the authors of the study consider unwise from a climate point of view.
“If EU participation in CORSICA replaces part, or all, of its existing regulation for aviation, it (...) risks undermining the ability to reach net zero emissions by mid-century”, they write.
And to add: “This option is associated with the biggest global net aviation CO2 emissions increase and the smallest impact on demand and airline costs”.
According to the study, there is also a risk that CORSIA “may only provide a limited climate benefit compared to the case in which international aviation emissions remain unregulated”.
The reason for this possible inefficiency: a price signal that is too weak to make a difference on its own. In other words, carbon offsets under CORSIA may be too cheap to provide a real incentive for airlines to significantly reduce their emissions.
“Airlines will pay less than a euro to buy carbon offsets that won't work. The study is a warning to the EU to take back responsibility for addressing pollution on European flights”, said Jo Dardenne, T&E’s aviation manager.
The Commission did not wish to react to the study, reminding EUROPE of its policy never to comment on ‘leaked’ documents. However, the Commission has indicated that it will take into account all feedback received in the public consultation on the ETS aviation review and include it in the impact assessment that will accompany its review proposal (now scheduled for June 2021).
At the time of going to press, the institution had not been able to provide us with a date for the ‘official’ publication of the study.
See the study: http://bit.ly/3lv8hLE (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)