The EPA has published the allocation of Greenhouse gas emission allowances for the aviation sector under Irish administration as part of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The EU is in the process of extending Emissions Trading to international aviation. From January 1st 2012 flights landing or departing from airports within the territories of the EU Member States (and the EEA-EFTA countries Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland) will be required to surrender one EU allowance for every tonne of CO2 emitted no later than the 30th April of the following calendar year. Monitoring of CO2 emissions will be by calculation based on consumption of fuel and standardised emission factors.
Each year airlines will receive a certain number of free allowances and will be required to buy any additional allowances they may need on the carbon markets. As Ireland can be first ‘(air)port of call’ for many cross-Atlantic flights, some 52 operators assigned to this country have been deemed eligible for a free allocation. Most of these are small private or corporate aircraft.