The European Union (EU) released a 94-page list of airlines that must reduce their emissions or will be banned from European airports two days ago. These are airlines of various sorts from all around the world. Some top players include United Airlines, US Airways, and the US Navy.

The initial ruling by the European Commission was made on August 5, but the list was just released in the Official Journal of the European Union on August 22.

Airlines that must reduce their emissions include some commercial airline giants (i.e. United Airlines, US Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Alitalia, Emirates). The list also includes the US Navy and the Air Forces of Israel and Russia.

Deutsche Welle reports that three percent of current EU CO2 emissions are from aircraft, and that the EU agreed to cut such emissions by three percent by 2012 and five percent by 2013.

The airlines on the EU’s just released list must reduce their emissions by January 1, 2012 or they will be banned from all EU airports.

Of course, the EU received a lot of pressure from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) about this, but the EU held its course and adopted the regulation.

There is a little bit of flexibility for airlines. “The EU also plans to introduce an emissions trading scheme by which companies that do not meet targets can buy permits from the European market or invest in clean development systems,” according to Deutsche Welle.

The EU continues to hold to its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement specific measures to meet its goal.

Source: GO Media - Written by Zachary Shahan - Image Credit: jiazi via flickr under a Creative Commons license