Carbon price down 7%
China has already rejected the EU’s carbon blackmail, and now the Indian government has done the same. Not only is the EU in danger of starting a global trade war, but repercussions are widening, as China cancels a $14bn order with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
And all for what? To prop up the EU’s pointless emissions trading scheme which will do virtually nothing for the climate, and everything to damage Europe’s competitiveness. Even Reuters, in the article below, acknowledges that the carbon price in the EU is too low to encourage any low-carbon investment. What a joke.
NEW DELHI, March 22 (Reuters) – India joined China in asking its airlines to boycott the European Union’s carbon scheme on Thursday, confirming what a senior Indian government source previously told Reuters and stoking a diplomatic row over the issue.
“Though the European Union has directed Indian carriers to submit emissions details of their aircraft by March 31, 2012, no Indian carrier is submitting them in view of the position of the government,” India’s civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said on Thursday.
“Hence the imposition of a carbon tax does not arise,” Singh told lawmakers in a written reply.
The European Commission was not immediately available to comment. [LOL – Ed]
India’s opposition to the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), a major plank in the bloc’s efforts to curb carbon dioxide emissions and combat global warming, could damage the chances of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) it is negotiating with the EU.
On Monday, a senior government official told Reuters that India would ask local airlines not to buy carbon credits from or share emissions data with the bloc.
Since January this year, all airlines using EU airports start to become liable to pay for carbon emissions, but no carriers will be handed a bill until next year.
Initially, they will also be given free allowances to cover the bulk of the cost.
The March 31 deadline is one of a series for airlines to comply with various EU requirements. Documents seen by Reuters showed that airlines, including from India and China, have previously signed up to become eligible for free allowances.
SOVEREIGNTY
Foreign governments, including the world’s top three carbon emitters – the United States, China and India – say the EU is exceeding its legal jurisdiction by charging for an entire flight, as opposed to just the part covering European airspace.
In a meeting last month in Moscow of the so-called “coalition of the unwilling”, countries opposed to the EU law including India, agreed on retaliatory steps, although it did not agree on enforcing them.
China said in February its airlines were barred from participating in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme unless they gained government approval. Beijing has also suspended the purchase of $14 billion worth of jets from European maker Airbus .
The EU’s Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has said the EU only adopted its current policy because efforts to agree a United Nations scheme to curb rising aviation emissions had failed.
She has repeatedly said the EU will stand by its law unless the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization can come up with a global plan.
The European Parliament has also reiterated support for the carbon charge and officials say it could decide to express its anger at India by blocking the Free Trade Agreement with the country. (source)
The EU is embarking on a very dangerous journey. It will end in tears for the EU, and China and India will be laughing.
Australian Climate Madness 
An unelected European Commission enforcing their taxes on foreign governments and private enterprises, that bring cashed-up tourists to cash starved EU countries … go figure!
Darn pity Australia does not have a backbone like these two other nations.
Although I sympathise with your view, I think such an act would a triple standard with backflip even this government could not consider. After all, they have actually just enacted a carbon tax that actually costs. (Their opinion is that the cost is for the greater good, mine is that the cost is to the detriment of working folk everywhere in Australia, but will be for the greater mental well being of the latte set! But I digress). None the less, the broader opinion that this is bad for EU seems on the money. Pretty soon, if they don’t change their position, no-one is going to be flying into EU on non-EU planes, and no is exiting EU on EU planes. You can see where this is going. On the upside, Boeing are going to make a pile of money out of this cluster of a policy! I’m not American, but anything that forces EU mandarins to change policy can’t be all bad.
Connie Hedegaard seems to be missing a few screws. Surely the reason a UN Scheme to curb rising aviation emissions failed is because there is no proof that emissions are rising? It’s an impost on industry and guaranteed to drive airlines to bankruptcy which will ensure that next year these carriers will NOT pay their bill. I wonder who will have the last laugh?
The Europeans certainly know how to start a war. They’ve never learnt how to win one.
This new trade war involving a carbon tax is equivalent to the EU actually putting the noose around its own neck and tightening it. Now how stupid is that?
If countries decide not to buy European aircraft, imagine the impact. If countries decide not to buy European vehicles, imagine the impact. If countries decide to impose their own exorbitant custom duties on European goods, imagine the impact.
So why are the Europeans so thick?
For those that like somebody to stand up to the EU bully’s and even the Gillards of this world, look at British MEP he is a powerhouse!
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