Europe presses Chinese airlines on carbon tax

European officials will insist that Chinese airlines pay for carbon emissions in line with a tax on flights to and from the EU, the Financial Times reported. The fees are part of the EU’s carbon trading scheme, and came into effect on January 1. Chinese airlines have been instructed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China not to join the EU emissions program without approval from Beijing. “China hopes that Europe will address our concerns in light of the overall situation of global climate change, the sustainable development of international aviation and Chinese-European relations,” the Chinese aviation authority said. The EU has insisted it will not back down from enforcement of the tax, although several countries have called it a violation of sovereignty. The US warned that it would “take appropriate action” if the law is not amended. Airlines which do not comply will be charged additional fines, and could be banned from EU airports.