You're listening to European Parliamentary Research Service podcast on CO2 emissions in the aviation sector.

CO2 emissions from aviation have been part of the EU emissions trading system since 2012.

But the EU decided to stop the clock and limit the scope of the scheme to flights within the European Economic Area until the end of 2016

to give the International Civil Aviation Organization time to develop global measures.

The Commission wants now to prolong the derogation for flights outside the European Economic Area,

but are the Parliament and Member States prepared to go along with this?

Stay with us.

Did you know that someone flying from London to New York and back

generates roughly the same level of emissions as the average person in the EU does by heating their home for a whole year?

Yes, you heard right.

Direct emissions from aviation are counter about 3% of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions

and more than 2% of global emissions.

So if global aviation was a country, it would rank among the top 10 emitters.

And unless we do something about it, the problem is likely to get worse.

With anticipated growth in air traffic, emissions in 2050 are expected to be 7 to 10 times higher than 1990 levels.

So what is the EU doing about this?

The EU has taken big steps to reduce its own aviation emissions

and is working with the international community to develop global measures.

For instance, CO2 emissions from aviation have been included in the EU emissions trading system

since 2012.

Under this scheme, all airlines operating in Europe are required to monitor, report and verify

their emissions and to surrender alliances against those emissions, and they receive tradable alliances covering a certain level of emissions from their flights every year.

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