Frank Prenesti

The British government on Tuesday agreed to include aviation and shipping in a law setting targets to cut greenhouse gases

LONDON, UK; October 29, 2008.- An amendment to climate change legislation tabled by ministers will compel the independent Climate Change Committee to take emissions from planes and tankers into account when it calculates carbon budgets, after more than 50 Labour MPs demanded the legislation be changed.

Britain is the first country to introduce legally binding targets to cut gases contributing to climate change. It has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

The government had resisted calls to include the transport sectors because of what it saw as difficulties in splitting cross-border emissions between countries.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth said Britain’s share of international shipping and aviation emissions accounted for 7.6 percent of the its total carbon dioxide emissions in 2006.

European Union states last week formally approved a proposal to include aviation in the bloc’s own emission trading scheme from 2012. Shipping is still excluded.

(Reuters)

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