SIGN and SHARE the Fairosene petition to urge your government to end the kerosene tax exemption from 2021!

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Aviation CO2 emissions are out of control

Aviation is the most climate-damaging mode of transport and is already responsible for at least 5% man-made climate change.

Flying is one of the most rapidly growing source of CO2 emissions. Aviation CO2 emissions have increased by over 26,3% over the past 5 years.

In 2018, aviation emissions from flights within Europe grew 4,9%.

We are on track to miss the EU 2030 objective of 111MtCO2 for outbond aviation emissions:

Airlines are benefiting from absurd tax advantages

Despite these alarming numbers that are endangering our carbon emission reduction objectives, the price of plane tickets is still kept artificially low in Europe. The most carbon-intensive mode of transport is also a deeply undertaxed industry. Air transport benefits from unjustified, unfair and harmful tax advantages:

Airlines pay no fuel tax in the EU, while many countries in the rest of the world, including Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and even Saudi Arabia already tax kerosene for domestic flights.

Furthermore, VAT is not applied for international plane tickets.

This aviation fuel tax exemption leads to:

A climate injustice and a distortion of competition , as these tax advantages financially incentivise us to choose flying over taking trains, since the latter don’t enjoy such tax incentives despite being considerably less polluting.

and a , as these tax advantages financially incentivise us to choose flying over taking trains, since the latter don’t enjoy such tax incentives despite being considerably less polluting. A social injustice as car drivers in the EU pay on average a 48 cts / litre tax to fill up their tanks while a tiny minority of the EU population flies.

as car drivers in the EU pay on average a 48 cts / litre tax to fill up their tanks while a tiny minority of the EU population flies. A shortfall of €8bn in tax revenues to finance the transition to carbon-free mobility (intra-EU-28 flights, 33 cts / litre)

An opportunity to finance low-carbon mobility

Instead of artificially fuelling air travel demand, aviation fiscal policies need to take into account the total climate impact and the damage on air quality that aviation causes. Taxing air transport is however not enough to ensure the transition to a low-carbon mobility. This is why tax revenues have to be used to:

reduce VAT on train tickets

subsidise the come-back of night trains.

improve cross border rail connectivity.

European governments have been postponing climate action on aviation for too long – they have to tax kerosene between each other from 2021!

Since 2003, EU member states have been permitted to tax fuel for domestic aviation, and, subject to bilateral agreement with another member state, tax fuel used for flights between them. Yet, 17 years later, none of the EU-27 taxes fuel uplifted for domestic flights nor for flights within the EU on a bilateral basis.

In 2019, 12 EU governments finally expressed their will to tax aviation collectively.

The climate crisis requires immediate climate action! These 12 countries cannot afford to wait for a long-term and unlikely EU-wide kerosene taxation. They need to agree with each other to start taxing aviation fuels between them from 2021!

See the why bilateral page for more information!

Take climate action, sign AND SHARE the Fairosene petition!

We have no time to lose in the war against carbon! SIGN and SHARE the Fairosene petition to demand that your government taxes kerosene used for domestic flights and for flights between willing countries from 2021!

You are not convinced yet or you want further information on the necessity to put a fair price for airlines’ pollution? Visit the FAQ!

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