Smart use of technology can help airlines surmount the challenges they face in complying with the European Union's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Carriers flying into European airports - no matter where they are based - are dealing with those challenges this year, since 2010 is the benchmark for how the EU intends to allocate emissions allowances through to 2020. In the run-up to the inclusion of airlines in the EU cap-and-trade system from 2012, they have been required to collect their emissions data since the start of this year (JFI Sep.7'09,p1). On the face of it, compliance with the ETS rules appears straightforward: emis- sions are derived using a factor of 3.15 that is applied to fuel burn expressed by weight in tons. But the methodology is fraught with gray areas that could make it difficult in practice for some carriers to implement an effective reporting scheme. Airlines with advanced systems for information technology already in place will be able to satisfy these new reporting requirements with relative ease (JFI Sep.21,p1). For carriers with less automated systems, IT upgrades will be needed.
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