MEXICO WELCOMES THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S DECISION TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION’S EMISSION TRADING SCHEME FOR INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION

• This will help facilitate the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on climate change and sustainability.

• The measure must still be confirmed by the European Union.

The European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, proposed temporarily suspending the European Union’s Emission Trading Scheme for international civil aviation. This step had already been taken unilaterally by the European Union and the effects were causing significant differences internationally.

Mexico welcomes this proposal, which strengthens multilateralism, opens the door to international negotiations within OACI and helps to facilitate adoption of further measures to reduce the environmental impact of this important sector of the economy.

The ICAO General Assembly has been studying how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international civil aviation and, in 2010, it adopted a series of measures to improve the environmental efficiency of the sector, including a global average 2% improvement in fuel efficiency annually over the medium term until 2020 and an aspirational goal of achieving carbon neutral growth from that year forward. However, there are still differences regarding how to achieve these goals and in particular regarding the role of carbon markets.

The decision of the European Union to apply its emissions trading scheme to all flights into or out of Europe, including non-European areas, created enormous differences that were reflected in the ICAO and that politicized its discussions.

Now, it is hoped that a more positive environment at the next ICAO General Assembly in autumn 2013 will help consolidate the progress made and that a framework for market-based measures will be defined. Mexico is committed to addressing climate change and has therefore taken action and has registered its various goals with the ICAO, including improving air traffic, a fuel efficiency goal and the development of biofuels.

Mexican trusts that the European Commissioner’s announcement will contribute to creating a more positive lead-up to the Climate Change Conference that will be held in Doha, Qatar in late November.