The EU says it will cut total emissions by 55% from 1990 levels, within 7 years (2030).
The “free allocation” of emissions trading credits to airlines will begin phasing out by 2026 and completely phased out in 2027.
2% of aviation fuel must come from “sustainable fuels” by 2025, 34% by 2040 and 70% by 2050.
Beginning in 2024, airlines flying to or from the European Economic Area must purchase carbon offsets
United Airlines says carbon offsets are a sham (mostly true) and is developing carbon capture technology instead.
Separately, besides carbon emissions, aircraft produce contrails and have other effects that might be on par with carbon emissions.
A study predicts the costs of SAF will add low single digit percent increases to airfares. But these will be combined with emissions trading and carbon offset schemes. Some say these measures will increase fares by up to 30% by 2035, and higher prices will lead to 17 percent fewer air travelers.
Some assert long-haul routes might be eliminated, because compliance costs will price them out of the market. This is of big concern to Australia and New Zealand.
Independent of carbon surcharges, many destinations have enacted or are planning to enact “visitor fees”. New Zealand, for example, has a new visitor tax to pay for environmental issues, and Hawaii has proposed similar fees.
One study says air ticket pricing should be based on your income and another proposal would have a global government database tracking everyone’s flights. Your first flight of a year would have no surcharge. But as your number of flights increases, you would be assessed an additional fee that could amount to hundreds of dollars on each leg of a trip for a frequent traveler. The idea is the more money you have, the more you should pay – California has done this with electricity pricing. Imagine extending this to groceries, metro bus services, restaurants, products and services.
Another study from an academic group says air travel should be mandated to be unaffordable: Climate: Computer model says we need to mostly end long distance air travel – Coldstreams. Specifically, the academics say the total number of flights should not be permitted to exceed the total number of flights in 2019. Since demand for air travel has increased, the market clearing price for tickets would go up sharply as available seats would then be scarce relative to demand. Effectively, travel is then only forthe global elite. (I have seen comments from elite globalists that they do not like that travel has become too easy and everyone can do it – thereby making the elite, less elite! Therefore, we must restrict travel to the elite!)
Meanwhile, literati tweeters produce hysterical commentary online and in “news” reports saying everything bad in the world is due to climate change and we must address the ClimateCrisis immediately, no matter the costs are harms. Many of them advocate bans on air travel or other limits such as requiring that travel be only for government approved reasons (and you’d have to apply for a permit much like you apply for a visa).
