Sweden should follow Norway and stimulate environmentally friendly aviation
The Norwegian Parliament has decided to introduce a 25-percent discount on landing fees at Norwegian airports for flights that use at least a 25 percent blend of a renewable aviation fuel. Furthermore, from 2018 the ambition is to introduce a mandatory biofuel blend quota in aviation fuel. Norway has already a carbon tax on domestic flights.
– Sweden should follow the Norwegian example. The aviation industry has already developed a standard for how to fly on renewable biofuel and it is time for politicians to assist the sector in getting renewable aviation fuels in the air to reduce climate impact. It also opens a market for the production of sustainable biofuels from Swedish forests and from unused arable land, or waste streams, says Gustav Melin, President of the Swedish Bioenergy Association, Swedish Bioenergy Association.
– The Swedish Government has decided to examine the introduction of an aviation tax. But the investigators have not been tasked to develop steering instruments to replace fossil aviation fuels. The Government should, as an alternative to a general aviation tax, look at the option of using landing fees and mandatory biofuel blend quotas to stimulate renewable jet fuels.
– Flying in itself is not so harmful to the environment. Birds fly using biomass as fuel and aircraft can do so today. Aviation has environmental benefits over other modes of transport too, occupying less land than both road and rail.
– Do not leave it to Norway to shoulder sole responsibility for the transition of aviation’s climate impact, says Gustav Melin.
For further information contact Gustav Melin, ph. +46 70-5244400 or Kjell Andersson, ph. +46 70-4417192.