EU Considers Emissions Fines on Chinese, Indian Airlines

Ten airlines from China and India face fines over their refusal to comply with legislation that regulates carbon emitted into European air. According to the New York Times, Chinese carriers may be hit with fines of up to €2.4 million; Indian carriers are facing fines of €30,000. While the fines apply to flights within European airspace, there are plans to expand the coverage to international flights in and out of Europe, a move more than 20 nations oppose. The EU Commissioner for Climate Action says there is no excuse for ignoring the regulations: “It’s not so that when we make our European laws, then we say they count for everybody except for Chinese and Indians – and that is no different in the aviation sector.” The program was established eight years ago and requires polluters to purchase a permit for every ton of annual emissions. The disagreement adds to trade tensions, but Europe expects other nations to get serious on measures to stem climate change. – YaleGlobal