International flights to be exempted from mandatory contrails reporting

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🗞️ Driving the news: The EU will require airlines to report non-CO2 emissions like sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and soot starting January 2025
• However, a recent public consultation indicated that international flights to and from non-EU destinations will be exempted from this requirement for the first two years

🔭 The context: The EU has historically focused on CO2 emissions from aviation, including them in the Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS)
• However, non-CO2 emissions, particularly contrails, also significantly impact climate change
• The monitoring and reporting framework for these emissions must be adopted by August 2024, but international flights will initially be exempt, covering only 33% of Europe’s aviation-related contrail impact

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Exempting international flights from reporting non-CO2 emissions leaves out a substantial portion of aviation’s climate impact, particularly from long-haul flights, which are among the most polluting due to higher altitudes

⏭️ What's next: The European Commission will review feedback from the public consultation and present it to member states
• A qualified majority vote by national governments is required for final adoption, with a deadline set for August 31, 2024

💬 One quote: “Excluding the most polluting flights means leaving out the most relevant data,” stated the Danish government in response to the consultation

📈 One stat: The monitoring and reporting framework will initially cover only 33% of Europe’s aviation-related contrail impact

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