Environmental policymaking for air transportation: Toward an emissions trading system

Aviation is at a turning point. Considerable improvements in aircraft emissions efficiencies are expected through technological improvements, air traffic management, and managerial strategies. But global demand for air travel is increasing at an even faster rate. Mostly for political reasons, aviation has been left behind in international efforts to tackle climate change. However, increasing pressure is on the industry for immediate action, thus making further delays impossible.;This thesis is an attempt to determine the best possible course of action for the industry. To this end, it begins by assessing contemporary understanding of aviation's impact on the environment, and provides an overview of efforts being made toward reducing aircraft emissions. It then examines various policymaking tools available to best address the issue, concluding with an emissions trading system. Finally, design characteristics of such a system are suggested, and used to provide an analysis of the European attempt to include aviation into its own emissions trading system.