Emissions scheme opponents mull retaliation

They're being called the coalition of the unwilling. The 26 countries opposed to the European Union's new emissions trading rules for aviation are meeting in Moscow on Tuesday and Wednesday to debate their counterattack. In addition to hosts Russia, the group of critics includes representatives from heavyweights like China, India and the United States. The EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) went into effect for airlines on January 1. It requires airlines to buy carbon emission permits for routes operating via Europe and effects carriers in 62 countries. A draft discussion paper seen by Reuters referred to potential retaliatory measures. These included halting international aviation talks or other trade talks between the EU and non-EU countries, and rejecting any EU requests for new air routes. The disgruntled countries could also launch a formal dispute with the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Oranization (ICAO), pass laws banning airlines from participating or charge fees for European flights. The Chinese government has already said it would not allow Chinese airlines to comply with the ETS and allegedly threatened to scuttle billions of euros worth of orders with the French-German airplane manufacturer Airbus. Speaking to DW, Bill Hemmings, an aviation expert at the green lobby group Transport and Environment in Brussels, dismissed these threats as "desperate measures." He said targeting European carriers with extra fees would be discriminatory and illegal under international law, while renegotiating air traffic rights would be cumbersome and ineffective. "I'd say these sorts of so-called retaliatory measures are hot air and they're signs of desperate men," Hemmings said. "They're not going to lead to much or they'll lead to everyone cutting off their nose to spite their face." The EU forges ahead The EU's opponents argue that measures to cut aviation emissions should be dealt with by ICAO at an international level. The EU says it decided to act alone after watching efforts to reach a global airline emissions deal languish for years at ICAO. Ahead of the Moscow meeting, the EU's climate chief, Connie Hedegaard, challenged ETS detractors to propose an alternative solution. From: DW