US airlines are quietly lobbying EU officials on proposed aircraft emissions reporting rules.
Staff from the advocacy group Airlines for America and representatives of US airlines met with the European Commission’s climate task force team earlier this year.
The meeting was not registered in the EU transparency register.
A Freedom of Information Act request reveals that Airlines for America has pushed to exclude airlines flying outside Europe from the proposed rules.
The draft regulation provides for the reporting of pollutant emissions caused by aircraft that go beyond carbon dioxide.
“Non-carbon emissions may account for up to two-thirds of the climate impact of flying, and yet US airlines are trying to evade responsibility,” said nonprofit InfluenceMap, which leaked the minutes of the meeting to the Guardian.
In addition to CO2, air traffic also causes sulphur dioxide and water vapour emissions.
The impact of these emissions on the environment is not yet fully known.
The proposal provides for data collection for intra-European flights from 2025 and for extra-European flights from 2027.
A4A is committed to ensuring that US airlines remain exempt from tax after 2027.
The International Air Transport Association agrees with A4A and questions whether reporting non-CO2 -Emissions benefit science.
“The Commission has essentially settled this issue on the assumption that we know enough to move forward. But on such an important issue, putting the proverbial cart before the horse is not the right way to go,” IATA said.
