SA minister asks EU to suspend ETS for two years

Delivering his keynote address at the 2012 Aviation & Environment Summit in Geneva, van Schalkwyk took the EU to task for "aggressive unilateralism" associated with the introduction of ETS which, he said "leaves a fairly bitter aftertaste".

Van Schalkwyk said that the strong reaction that ETS has triggered from across the world, including threats of a trade war, did not come as a big surprise. However, he added, if the EU is committed to a global solution, and if the rest of the world is seriously committed to providing new political momentum to negotiations under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), "there may be very good reasons for the EU to suspend the inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS for two years," Airport World says.

Business Wire reports that according to 'Aviation: benefits beyond borders', a new report released at the Aviation and Environment Summit, more than 6 million jobs and $67.8 billion in GDP in Africa are supported by aviation - an industry that plays a larger role in both the African and global economy than many would expect. "In Africa alone aviation directly employs over 250,000 people," said Paul Steele, Executive Director of Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) - the global association that represents air transport, which co-produced the report. Indirect employment increases the regional figure to 6.7 million jobs, Steele said.

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