To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methodology for assigning international aviation emissions to the national emission inventories the Government are advocating in the international negotiations for a post-2012 framework to tackle climate change. (195034)

I have been asked to reply.

DEFRA commissioned a study, published in 2006, which examined what the different allocation methodologies proposed by the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA) would mean to greenhouse gas inventories (UK and all others). No judgement was made on which methodology the UK advocated.

The inventory includes domestic aviation and international aviation as a memo item (using bunker fuel sales to estimate the GHG emission). A recent workshop in Oslo looked at methodological issues with regards to the climate change impact of aviation—it was concluded that whilst it is technically feasible to include international aviation in a post-2012 agreement, there is a political barrier to this at present.

We continue to work with EU and international partners to seek a way through the current political impasse, and very much hope to see it included in future frameworks for tackling climate change.