Airlines face ‘carbon charge’ under new EU law

As a HellaWella reader, we are sure you do what you can to offset the harmful emissions of your airplane travel. What if, however, the airlines themselves took on some of that responsibility?

That is exactly what the European Union is proposing in a new law that could ban airlines from using European airports if they fail to account for carbon dioxide emissions.

You can bet that didn’t go over well with many of the world’s airlines. China’s four leading airlines, for example, stated they will refuse to pay the carbon charges imposed by the European Union.

So what does this new law mean for you? As Bloomberg reported, the regulation could drive ticket prices up an average of 3%, according to aviation information provider OAG.

While the EU law could impose a heavy financial burden on many airlines, and higher ticket prices for you, those that are more energy efficient can reduce this cost, according to Bloomberg. Furthermore, flights that originate from countries that implement similar measures to reduce aviation pollution may also be exempt, Bloomberg reported.

Though global-warming advocates will argue that this new law will go a long way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it fails to address the biggest contributor of carbon dioxide into the environment — the burning of fossil fuels. In the United States, more than half the energy-related emissions come from factories and power plants, with transportation coming in at about a third, according to the EPA.

Still, one can argue that it is better than nothing, and anything to reduce pollution is a good thing.

Tell us, do you think charging airlines for greenhouse gas emissions is a good idea or an unnecessary expense?

Tags: airlines, carbon emissions, EU, European Union, travel

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