EU ETS Aviation
Aviation has been added to the EU ETS (Emission Trading Scheme). Recent EU regulations require aircraft operators to monitor and report verified data on CO2 emissions arising from aviation activities on intra-EU flights and all flights entering and departing from EU airports.
Aviation has been added to the EU ETS (Emission Trading Scheme)
Recent EU regulations require aircraft operators to monitor and report verified data on CO2 emissions arising from aviation activities on intra-EU flights and all flights entering and departing from EU airports. This EU Regulation (Directive 2008/101/EC) is an amendment to the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS)
Who is covered by the scheme?
'Aircraft operators' are the entities responsible for compliance. This excludes flights by state aircraft, flights under visual flight rules, circular flights, flights for testing navigation equipment or for training purposes, rescue flights and flights by aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of less than 5,700kg.
How are aircraft operators to be included?
Each aircraft operator will be administered by one Member State only (the state where an operating license was issued OR the state in which the aircraft operator's emissions in the base year are most attributable).
Each aircraft operator will be allocated a certain number of allowances free of charge.
When is the scheme proposed to come in?
Monitoring and reporting requirements are proposed to take effect from 2010.
From 2011 emissions are proposed to be subject to a cap and aircraft operators will be required to surrender allowances to cover their emissions.
Flights between airports in the Community are proposed to be included from 1/1/2011.
Flights arriving at or departing from airports in the Community are proposed to be included from 1/1/2012.
EU ETS Timeline
What will aircraft operators be required to do?
Submit Monitoring and reporting Plan before August 31, 2009, to the assigned Competent Authority in the EU Member State
Monitor emissions of CO2, starting January 1, 2010, and submit a verified report to their competent authority before 31st March of each subsequent year
Have annual reports verified by an accredited verifier.
- Will your plan be acceptable to the Competent Authorities?
- Are you convinced that you can do what your plan says from January 1st?
- Can your report be validated at the end of 2010?
Would you not need to know at the start rather than at the end?
How can you prepare?
LRQA can help you prepare by:
We can assess your plan, to support regulatory acceptance.
We can help you mitigate the risks of non-compliances at final verification phase. Imagine the cost and effort of corrections, just before the final deadline…. LRQA help you, by assessing your ability and performance, now, at the start, and during 2010. So you can have it right in 2011.
LRQA has the expertise to help you meet your obligations. Our verifiers at the LRQA Aviation Centre are well placed to help you meet your obligations under this legislation. We were part of the consortium working for the European Commission to develop the monitoring, reporting and verification guidelines for aviation's inclusion within the EU ETS. We already have performed first gap-analyses at major airlines, to help them to mitigate the risk of any non-compliance before final verification.
We can offer you access to our expertise as an accredited verifier under EU-ETS, combined with the knowledge gained from years of experience working with the aviation sector.
Specifically, LRQA can provide your organisation with:
Briefings on the current status of developments in this area
Guidance on how to prepare for the scheme
Gap analyses of your existing systems against the compliance and data calculation requirements
Baseline and Annual verifications
Resources