Airline carbon tax will burden poor countries: BASIC

NEW DELHI: India made it clear on Monday that it would not agree to any move by the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO) to propose carbon emission tax on its airlines in the garb of offsetting emissions in the aviation sector. The government said global market-based measures must "take care of the interests of poor and developing countries".

The country's position was categorically stated when minister for environment Anil Madhav Dave met visiting ICAO president Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. They discussed global market-based measures in the context of emissions in the civil aviation sector ahead of ICAO's conference in September. The organisation has been planning to cap emissions through a tax-based sions through mechanism.

"The interests of poor and developing countries should be taken on board in the development of the global market-based measures," said Dave as India emphasised that such measures in the international civil aviation sector must follow the principles of `Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities' (CBDRRC) ­­ which puts the onus on rich nations to cut emission on priority as they have historically been bigger polluters.

Though aviation was not included in the Paris climate e Paris climate agreement adopted by 195 countries in December last year, India and other developing countries have been insisting that steps to address greenhouse gases must follow the mandate and framework emanating from it.

Under the Paris agreement, all countries are supposed to take voluntary measu res in line with their national climate action plans submitted to the UNFCCC secretariat. The financial liability under the agreement is, however, linked only to rich nations, which are expected to contribute to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to help poor and developing countries to adapt to the challenges of climate change and move on to a low-carbon growth path.

In fact, BASIC countries Brazil, South Africa, India and China have been demanding that the market-based measures under ICAO must be aligned with provisions of the Paris agreement.