BMI Regional claims to have become the first UK airline to complete the 2012 European Union Emissions Trading Scheme cycle.
This means that the airline is among the first of more than 11,000 airlines, power stations and industrial plants in 31 countries to adhere to a ‘cap and trade’ method of carbon emissions reduction.
PricewaterhouseCoopers verified the airline’s 2012 annual emissions report and approved its emissions in the Union Registry, enabling BMI Regional to fulfil the requirements for EU ETS compliance.
Chief operating officer Graeme Ross said: “The emissions trading system is a cornerstone of the EU’s policy to combat climate change and we’re delighted to lead the aviation sector in the UK with our compliance to this method of cost-effectively reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions.
“One of our priorities is to serve our customers well by maintaining an efficient jet fleet and so we operate our 18 Embraer aircraft on a timetable designed to optimise passenger loads: a full aircraft is an efficient aircraft.
“We take our role in lowering carbon emissions seriously and as we expand our UK and European network we’ll continue to examine and adopt measures to ensure compliance with the emissions trading scheme alongside other environmental practices.”