The Government support an open trading scheme, as was agreed at the December 2007 Environment Council. Under this agreement, aviation operators will be enabled to purchase EU allowances to cover emissions beyond the agreed cap, where they have not made sufficient reductions within their own sector. These additional emissions may also be covered by Kyoto project credits up to a limit of 15 per cent. of the total number of allowances surrendered by operators. The advantage of this approach is that it will enable aviation, as a sector with limited short term abatement options, to purchase allowances that have resulted from real emission reductions in other sectors to meet its obligations.