UN to Recommend International Air Ticket Tax

A new global aviation tax on airline tickets could be imposed to try and raise billions of dollars to help developed countries reduce green house gas emissions.

The UN High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing is considering the idea as air travel is one of the fastest growing sources of GHG emissions. However it is suggested that flights within Europe might be excluded because the emissions are already covered by the EU's aviation Emissions Trading Scheme.

According to The Times, half the tax would stay with the country where it is paid, while the rest would be ploughed into a new climate change fund. It is expected that the UN report on this matter will be published later in November by the Advisory Group which was established last February to study options for raising money. The finance raised will be directed at mobilising investment into a low carbon future, particularly in less developed nations.

One of the most important ways that a global aviation tax funds may be used to mitigate climate change is by supporting avoided deforestation projects which pay rainforest dwellers to conserve the trees which are living stores of carbon according to Cool Earth director, Matthew Owen;

"If you want to mitigate CO₂ emissions, the first and most economically efficient task is to keep hold of the forest that we still have. We work directly with indigenous communities in the Amazon to help them keep loggers out of their forests and conserve the exisiting plant and animal biodiversity," says Owen.

"The communities receive training and technical support as well as financial payments for the environmental services they are providing to the world."

SOURCES: The Times; www.un.org; and www.greenaironline.com

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