Instead, ministers want to push for the inclusion of aviation in the second round of the European Emissions Trading Scheme, which starts in 2008.

ECONOMIST: Airports

Under the European emissions-trading scheme carbon does have a price in Britain, but it is too low to be effective and is hard to increase.

ECONOMIST: Energy markets

California is now talking about setting up a European-style emissions-trading scheme with north-eastern states.

ECONOMIST: Climate change

To their credit, ministers have pledged to try to get flying included in the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme, a cap-and-trade arrangement for discouraging reliance on carbon.

ECONOMIST: Flying and climate change

The European Union, with its emissions trading scheme across 27 sovereign nations, has been at the forefront of efforts to curb carbon dioxide emissions.

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The European Union's plans to introduce the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) have been met with a lot of opposition.

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It is the first such deal since the European Union suspended the inclusion of foreign airlines in its controversial Emissions Trading Scheme.

BBC: China agrees $8bn Airbus plane deal

And from the corporate sector, seven companies involved in aviation have written to European governments complaining about the recent inclusion of plane emissions in the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS).

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The European Union argues that one credit must equal one tonne of carbon dioxide for its Emissions Trading Scheme, the largest emissions market, to be effective.

ECONOMIST: Carbon markets

The European Parliament will vote this month on a proposal to cap aircraft emissions and include them in the trading scheme.

ECONOMIST: Buttonwood