Europe’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) is not much more than a year away, with a mandatory introduction date of January 1, 2012, for all operators making even the shortest flights into the continent’s airspace, and yet there is still widespread confusion about how key aspects of the system will work. In particular, with less than six months until the March 31, 2011 deadline for verified 2010 emissions and activity reports to be submitted, there are serious doubts about what operators need to do to find an accredited verifier and how much the process will cost them.
For many in the business aviation community, and especially those based outside Europe who might log only a small number of flights into Europe, the core dilemma is how user-friendly the rules for small emitters–defined as emitting fewer than 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year–will prove to be in practice.
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