China’s Civil Aviation authorities have urged the EU to reconsider its plan which they say has overestimated China’s ability to tackle climate change even though China is stepping up its efforts to save energy and reduce emissions.The civil aviation authorities have voiced strong opposition against the EU’s unilateral move, although part of the argument could, perhaps, be better constructed.
Li Jiaxiang, Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said, "The EU’s plan to impose carbon emission tax has ignored the different stages of development between developed and developing countries. We are calling for a policy that treats developed and developing countries differently. It should take into account the fact that developed countries have contributed more carbon emissions over a hundred years of industrialization, while developing countries have just stepped into that stage of development. So developed countries need to take more responsibility for combating climate change."
Domestic airlines are doing what they can to bring down their carbon emissions. Measures like optimizing flight routes, and alleviating plane loads are widely used for higher efficiency. They also have plans to replace their aircraft with newer, more environmentally friendly, models.
CCTV.com reports that China has called for developed countries to transfer their technologies to developing countries to help alleviate their burdens.