Russia and China say they will hold out against the inclusion of aviation in the EU's emissions trading system (EU ETS), the Russian Transport Ministry stated on its website on Tuesday.
"The parties are against unilateral and coercive action without reaching mutual agreements between the countries concerned," the ministry said. "The inclusion of international aviation in the European emissions trading system violates the principles of the Chicago Convention."
The Chicago Convention is a 1944 agreement which forms the basis of international rules governing civil aviation services.
The inclusion of aviation in EU ETS may prevent the development of international cooperation on climate change, the ministry added, leading to other negative consequences for international civil aviation.
The EU decided in early 2009 to include civil aviation industry into the ETS from 2012. From January 1, 2012 all airlines flying in and out of the EU, as well as all internal carriers, will have to cut emissions to fit new quotas or purchase bigger quotas in the framework of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
China has consistently showed reluctance to commit to slashing greenhouse emissions, despite being the world's largest polluter. China's civil aviation authority estimates the scheme will cost its airlines some 85 million in 2012 and 320 million a year by 2020.
