By Annie Petsonk, International Counsel, and Adam Peltz, Legal
Fellow As the European Union gets closer to implementing a law
to control greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, U.S. airlines
are stepping up their efforts to mischaracterize and undermine
the program by calling it a “tax” instead of what it really is –
a market-based cap on pollution that lets them find the best and
cheapest way to reduce emissions. It’s no surprise. It’s the
same tactic some in industry used to mischaracterize climate
change legislation in the U.S. during the last Congress, and
they’re doing it again to undermine Europe's efforts. The
aviation sector today emits about as much climate pollution as
all of the United Kingdom, and that amount is projected to
quadruple by 2050. There will be a cost to reducing those
emissions. But just because something has a cost, that does not
make it a tax. - The EU law puts a quantity limit, or cap, on
the total amount of climate pollution of all flights landing at
or taking off from EU airport