U.S. states push to surpass world emissions norms on aviation

(Reuters — 10/6/21)

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration should exceed global standards designed to curb emissions from flights, as pressure mounts to limit the sector’s greenhouse gases, five states told the White House in a letter seen by Reuters… The EPA should move ahead of the U.N.’s aviation agency in approving standards to curb greenhouse gases and air pollution from new aircraft engines entering into service after 2030, said the letter from Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, California and Minnesota and International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)… “Airlines have aspirations to zero out their greenhouse gas emissions, but the U.S. doesn’t yet have policies to support that goal,” said Andrei Kodjak, executive director of the Washington-based ICCT. “It’s high time for the Biden administration to adopt standards to accelerate the development of low carbon aircraft and engines.” In its final days in office, the Trump administration finalized emissions standards for new airplanes that a dozen U.S. states have challenged as too lenient. The states and ICCT propose EPA begin work to set new emissions rules for new aircraft engines entering into service in or after 2030.