Shipping, aviation on EU pollution scanner
The European Union is considering stiff curbs on emissions from the aviation and shipping sectors as a way to tackle the causes of global warming, according to a Reuters report last week.
'Shipping and airlines could be tapped for money to help poor nations tackle and adapt to climate change, according to draft proposals to be presented to European finance ministers on Tuesday,' the news report said. 'Greenhouse gas emissions from the two sectors are expected to be addressed at a United Nations meeting in Copenhagen in December to find a new global deal on fighting climate change.'
The report said the key issue will be financing measures to convince developing nations to cut their carbon dioxide emissions and 'to adapt to a problem they say has been caused by rich, industrialized nations.'
After watching UN bodies that regulate the aviation and shipping industries fail to adequately control emissions, 'the EU is determined to act.'
The EU said that shipping emissions have grown more than 60 percent in the last 15 years, while airline emissions have doubled.
'It has warned that it is ready to curb emissions for the two sectors unilaterally, unless a deal is reached at Copenhagen,' the report said, without giving any specifics to what the emissions limits would be.
Shipping, aviation on EU pollution scanner
