Europe must not go it alone on aviation emissions trading; instead a global solution should be found, the World Travel & Tourism Council has told the European Union.

Speaking in Guangzhou China WTTC president, David Scowsill, called on the European Union to delay the full implementation of its controversial emissions trading scheme until a global solution can be found.

“We are very much in favour of emissions trading as a sensible, market-based approach to aviation’s impact on the environment but this should be applied globally, not on a region-by-region basis,” explained Scowsill.

“The EU risks a trade war with the US and China – which is the last thing Europe’s economy needs right now.

“We are calling on the EU to delay the full introduction of emissions trading until the International Civil Aviation Organisation completes its process during 2013.”

In response to the EU’s move, at least 43 states have publicly made their opposition known with some threatening retaliatory measures against European carriers or other European business sectors.

China’s Civil Aviation Authority has instructed its airlines not to comply with the EU law and US airlines are still pursuing legislation to ensure they are not required to participate.

Scowsill continued: “A solution needs to be found quickly before this escalates into a full-scale trade war.

“We support emissions trading as a market based approach to reducing carbon emissions. However in its current form it risks harming the competitiveness of European aviation, and therefore the region’s tourism.

“In order for emissions trading to successfully address the carbon emissions from aviation a global, rather than regional, solution should be found. The ICAO process must be allowed to run its course.”

According to the International Air Transport Association, the €4 billion that is collected in local aviation taxes from just three countries – the UK, Germany and Austria would offset all the world’s aviation CO2 emissions about one-and-a-half times at current market prices for UN issued Certified Emissions Reductions.