EU transport ministers agree on airline carbon cap

EU transport ministers agree on airline carbon cap
BRUSSELS - Transport ministers within the European Union have agreed to a proposal that makes airlines a part of the carbon trading scheme so as to reduce the greenhouse gases emissions that are responsible for climate change.

Under the terms of the plan, airlines will have to take steps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by them or else they would have to buy carbon credits from other industries. The European Parliament will have to approve these plans that are due to be effective starting 2011.

Airlines have reacted with disdain and have claimed that the annual costs of such a scheme would exceed 4 billion euros. They also said they were being targeted in an unfair manner. Airlines feel that since they are responsible for just 2 percent of carbon emissions, these plans are harsh on them.

However EU Ministers said that the target is to reduce 20 percent emissions by 2020 and the airline industry must also play its part in the plans. "Every mode of transport, including the air mode, has to make its contribution to tackling climate change," said Wolfgang Tiefensee, Germany's transport minister.

Deutsche Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France-KLM are the biggest airlines that are thought to be worse off from the scheme, but small, budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet will also be affected.