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Amsterdam Airlines: EU emission trading scheme

Direct News Source

As of 2010 the EU emission trading scheme is going into effect. This will affect the aviation industry in general, but Amsterdam Airlines as an airline in its growing phase in particular.

One of the things which is new to the aviation industry is called 'emission trading'. The emission trading is part of the EU policy to reduce CO2 pollution. This policy is of course a very good thing: Amsterdam Airlines also wants to do its part in ensuring a 'greener future'. This is the reason why we have modern and efficient aircraft.

But for Amsterdam Airlines as an airline in its growing phase, the emission scheme as set out this moment, could turn out to be quite unfavourable (read: unfair?).

The reason is that 2010 is going to be a 'baseline' year. That is, in 2010 Amsterdam Airlines has to report how many CO2 was produced with flying that year. In 2012, the emission trading scheme uses the free rights baseline 'build up' in 2010. The issue is that Amsterdam Airlines intends to double the amount of aircraft in 2011 and onwards up to about 6 aircraft.

So, if Amsterdam Airlines gets even more CO2 efficient aircraft, the trading scheme is still based on the amount of aircraft flying in 2010. This way Amsterdam Airlines is always 'in a negative' with regard to the emission trading.

Amsterdam Airlines is in talks with various parties to see how the emission trading scheme can be made more fair for 'growing airlines'.