EPA takes aim at aircraft emissions

The Environmental Protection Agency said U.S. planes emit about 11 percent of greenhouse gas emissions among the transportation sector.

   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rules to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commercial aircraft. 
   According to the agency, U.S. planes emit about 11 percent of greenhouse gas emissions among the transportation sector and 29 percent of the emissions from all aircraft worldwide.
   For the past five years, International Civil Aviation Organization — a UN body comprised of 191 member states — has been working with the aviation industry and other stakeholders to develop an international CO2 emissions standards for aircraft. EPA and the Federal Aviation Administration, representing the United States, have been a part of ICAO’s process to reduce aircraft emissions.
   The ICAO standards are expected to be adopted in early 2016. In response, EPA has laid the necessary foundation to develop and implement a domestic aircraft standard, in accordance with U.S. law and the ICAO process, the agency said.
   EPA’s proposed contribution finding and advance notice of proposed rulemaking may be viewed here.
   The agency said this action does not apply to small piston-engine planes often used for recreational purposes or military aircraft.
   Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, said it supports ICAO’s work to reduce CO2 emissions from aircraft.
   “While we believe that any regulatory action must be consistent with both the agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act and the future ICAO standard, today’s action reconfirms the EPA’s commitment to the ICAO process for achieving a global CO2 standard for new aircraft,” said Nancy Young, vice president of environmental affairs for A4A, in a statement.
   A4A noted U.S. airlines have improved fuel efficiency by more than 120 percent since 1978 at a saving over 3.8 billion metric tons of CO2. Further, U.S. airlines carried 20 percent more passengers and cargo in 2014 than they did in 2000, while emitting 8 percent less CO2.
   “U.S. airlines are green and we are getting even greener,” Young said. “The technology, operations and infrastructure initiatives that our airlines are undertaking to further address GHG emissions are designed to responsibly and effectively limit their carbon emissions and potential climate change impacts while allowing them to continue to serve as drivers of U.S. and global economies.”