In the 21st century, carbon emission has been a hot issue around the global. Even though the aviation industry accounts for around 2% of all human-induced CO2 emissions, aviation produced 705 million tonnes of CO2 in 2013 (ATAG, 2014). It is projected to maintain the increasing pattern due to the rising demand of air travel and air-cargo shipments. In this paper, I will discuss the economic impacts of the introduction of EU ETS (January 2012), focusing on international airlines.
To reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, the EU has launched the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) on carbon dioxide emission also known as “cap and trade” program. This covers many industries including aviation (European Commission, 2012a). From January 2012, all the flights taking-off from or landing at EU airports are subject to the EU ETS.
However, the plan is not enforced by several airlines and aviation authorities. The EU ETS excludes international flights while it is mainly for flights within the European Union (European Commission, 2012a).
In the trading period between 2008 and 2012, the prices in the EU ETS varied from €7.96 to €28.73 (Jasper Faber et al, 2011). Price projections are uncertain, due to the banking system for allowances which have not been renounced during recession. The range is estimated between €17 and €70 for the trading in 2020 (Jasper Faber et al, 2011). Airlines which do not comply with the EU ETS will face an excess emissions penalty of €100 per tonne of CO2. This is
Polluter Corp, has recently spent $3 million to purchase emission allowances, with a vintage year of 2012, in order to meet the need for additional EAs in the fiscal years 2010-2014. They will also need to sell EAs, with a vintage year of 2016, in order to offset the costs of the purchase. It is to my understanding that the need for EAs arose because of the significant amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the Company 's antiquated manufacturing facilities. In order to remedy this situation, plans were made to upgrade the facilities in 2014. The reduced gas emissions that the upgraded facilities are expected to provide will render EAs with vintage
Personal consumption expenditure also increased in 1998 compared to 1997. Because the aging population will decrease the labor force growth, this will reduce the economy’s potential to produce. This will increase the cost of labor for the airline industry. Households in the Northeast and West spent more than the Midwest and South in 1995. Because regional spending patterns are partly determined by climate, spending by region is not likely to change in the years ahead. 4. Political/Legal Environment With the deregulation of the airline industry came the advent of hypercompetition and also a decrease in wages for airline industry employees. Censuses show a 10% decline in the relative earning of airline workers after deregulation. Excess government intervention will be the only thing that will inhibit the rapid growth effects of deregulation both domestically and internationally. 5. Global Environment Growth in international travel will be determined on the successful application of Open Ski legislation and other agreements with foreign governments and carriers. On June 16, 1999, the United States and the United Kingdom were on the verge of a break through in their negotiations on an open-skies agreement between the two countries. This would create an open and competitive environment in one of the world’s largest international aviation market. The European Community has been working on its own version of Open Skies deregulation. European regulation is a national
The implementation of the carbon tax had a negative affect on the aviation industry, as the airlines could not absorb the higher cost of fuel. This meant to offset costs travelers would pay extra in ticket prices (Herald, 2011).
The cap on the market is set on carbon emissions, creating scarcity within the market. At the end of each year businesses within the scheme are required to ensure they have enough allowances to account for their installation’s actual emissions. Those firms that do not comply and pollute without sufficient permits are hit with heavy fines. (Euro 100 per ton). The aim of carbon trading is to create a market in pollution permits and put a price on carbon. In this way, policy can help internalise external costs of firms’ production and encourage lower emissions to tackle climate change. In a cap and trade system, the volume permits would gradually decline and total emissions, in theory, will diminish. The model of such can be shown as
Cowper-Smith & de Grosbois (2011, p.59) stated that airlines are not currently focusing enough on their social responsibilities, an area in which Qantas should look to be at the head of their industry. The way in which Qantas operates can have monumental impacts not only on their customers but to the environment itself. Planes although a current need in society also come with a heavy amount of baggage which influences the environment. Aircraft noise, impact on local air quality are just some of the by-products of aircraft travel (Goodman, 2009 p.14). The most discussed and criticised issue within aircraft travel in the modern climate however, is the affect that it has on the environment. This is due to amount of emissions in which are consumed through aircraft travel. Shell aviation the “leading global supplier of world-class aviation fuel and lubricants” supplies almost 7000 aircrafts with fuel each day, refuelling a plane every 12 seconds. Qantas airlines should be knowledgeable on how much fuel they are using and the type of fuel they are using. Pollution resulting from greenhouse gasses and emissions can result in horrific consequences for the environment. Examples of costs that Qantas may endure from its impact on the environment could be adding to the growing concern of global warming throughout the world (Kolstad, 1996 p.1). This is leading to issues such as sea level rising, melting of snow and ice and changes to plant growth and nutrition
Rising fuel prices has a huge impact on the airline industry. In an article published by the New York Times in 2007, oil prices were hovering ‘near $100 a barrel’ which caused the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to ‘slash’ their predicted profits for 2008 from ‘$7.8 billion to $5 billion’ (Clark, 2007). In 2008 high fuel prices were ‘dominant factor’ in the losses that faced the industry, and continued to same effect in 2009 (Dunn, 2009). Diagram 2 shows how fuel price has increased and fallen over the last 5 years.
First we should understand how the carbon cap and trade system came about. The system of carbon cap trade used to be known as ‘emissions trading’, the alliance of free-market republicans and renegade environmentalists got the system adopted as national law in 1990 as a part of the Clean Air Act, to control the power-plant pollutants that cause acid rain, which is triggered by vast clouds of sulfur dioxide
Government banned carbon trading schemes, creating demand for more fuel efficient aircraft as a way to save money (BBC, 2012).
The unit emission per passenger has also reduced due to the inherent capacity increase in the Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The new cap-and-trade scheme of EU for CO2 emission control can effect RA cost management based on the allowances to be needed in 2012.
Airlines Industry is large and growing, it is also the most fiercely competitive sector. It facilitates international trade, world economy growth, tourism and international investment. The airline industry has over time with the use of modern technology been able to take advantage of the short haul, high frequency and gained a competitive advantage over other forms of travel, such as buses and railroad travel. Additionally, the airline industry still holds the market for global travel at a low cost and convenient way to travel. The aviation industry gives a good contribution to the GDP which includes the following: airline services, general aviation, civil airport operations, aircraft manufacturing, and
Aviation contributes approximately 2 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, a figure which is projected to grow through 2050. Although fuel efficiency has improved by nearly 16 percent since the 1990s, future technologies—including better flight patterns, more-efficient engines, and alternative fuels—have promise for further emissions reductions. The profitability challenges of the early twenty-first century, however, affect the industry's ability to invest in new technology. (Hill, 2010 17-22)
The sector employs more than 3 million people. Prior to the 1990’s, the air transport industry in Europe had been traditionally highly regulated and dominated by national carriers and state owned airports. Since then a single market for aviation has been created. The single market has seen the removal of all commercial restrictions for airlines flying within Europe. These include restrictions on routes, number of flights and the setting of prices.
Pollution, specifically global warming, is of growing concern to people and governments. It is a controversial issue whose validity is still being debated by scientists. The Kyoto Protocol is an international attempt to address global warming through emissions controls. Traditional neoclassical economic models do not incorporate pollution in rudimentary theories of supply, demand, or pricing, as a result, firms do not consider pollution as a cost of production, which leaves government regulation as the primary method for controlling these externalities. The goal of emissions trading is to allow one business, which can make greenhouse gas emission reductions for a relatively low cost, to sell
In the aftermath of the 1957 Treaty , the European Economic Community (EEC) was established and customs barriers between the member states have been abolished. Member States throughout the Community, can “promote a harmonious development of economic activities, a continuous and balanced expansion, an increased stability, an accelerated raising of the standard of living and closer relations between them”. Therefore, in order for a common market to be established between Member States, the Community enacted some legislative provisions which aimed to a true harmonization of laws; incorporate different legal systems under a basic legal framework. The main issue arising is whether these legal provisions in accordance with the case law, ensured the free movement of goods within this market.
The Airline industry is a large and constantly growing industry. It facilitates economic growth, international investment and world trade and is therefore central to other industries as well for globalisation. There are various forces which lead to globalisation in airline industry. Key drivers of change are forces likely to affect the structure of an industry; sector or market. (1).