2020年经济学人 航空公司与气候(1)

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Airlines and the climate

航空公司与气候

Setting a new CORSIA

设立新的《国际航空碳抵消和减排计划》

A carbon-intensive industry defangs an already mostly toothless offset¹ scheme

碳密集型产业摧毁了基本上已经失效的碳抵消计划

“The worst year in the history of aviation” is how the International Air Transport Association (IATA) describes 2020. The global airline-industry body expects carriers’ revenues to fall by half and debt to swell² by $120bn to $550bn. To cut costs airlines have grounded planes and put staff on unpaid³ leave.

国际航空运输协会（IATA）将2020年描述为“航空史上最糟糕的一年”。这家全球航空业机构预计，航空公司的收入将会减半，债务将增加1200亿美元，达到5500亿美元。为了削减成本，航空公司使飞机停飞，并让员工无薪休假。

Another slashed⁴ expense is that of climate action. Aviation emits 3% of manmade carbon dioxide. That share could rise to 5-9% by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency, a forecaster. To curb⁵ these emissions⁶, in 2013 the European Union tried to add international aviation to its emissions-trading programme, including flights connecting EU airports to those outside the bloc⁷. The industry cried foul⁸. In a compromise the International Civil Aviation Organisation⁹ (ICAO), an agency of the UN, devised the Carbon Offsetting¹⁰ and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. CORSIA, as it is known for short, is due to start next year. It compels airlines to buy offsets¹¹ for any additional CO2 produced by international flights above a baseline.

另一项削减开支的措施与气候行动相关。航空业二氧化碳排放量占人类制造的二氧化碳排放量的3%。据国际能源署预测，到2050年，这一比例可能增至5-9%。为了减排，2013年，欧盟试图将国际航空业纳入其碳排放交易计划，包括来往于欧盟机场内外的航班。航空业为此叫苦不迭。联合国下属的国际民用航空组织（ICAO）作出妥协，设计了《国际航空碳抵消和减排计划》。《国际航空碳抵消和减排计划》，简称CORSIA，将于明年生效。这项计划迫使航空公司对于超过基准的国际航班产生的任何额外的二氧化碳进行购买抵消。

That baseline has become hotly contested. It was originally set at the industry’s average emissions for 2019 and 2020. Now emissions are forecast to fall by 37% this year, which would mean a lower baseline— and so, in time, higher offsetting costs. So IATA proposed using just emissions from just 2019 instead. On June 30th icao’s 36- member council agreed, at least for COASIA’s first three years.

碳排放基准线饱受争议。最初将2019年和2020年的航空业平均排放量设定为基准。目前预计今年的碳排放量将减少37%，这意味着更低的基准值以及更高的碳抵消开支。因此，国际航协建议只使用2019年的排放量作为基准。6月30日，由36个成员国组成的国际民航组织理事会同意，至少在《国际航空碳抵消和减排计划》实施的前三年应用这一基准。

Environmental groups are up in arms. The scheme already lacked bite, since it is voluntary until 2027 and does not include domestic flights, about a third of the industry’s emissions. Countries representing three-quarters of aviation’s carbon footprint have signed up but flights between those which have opted¹² in and those which have not are excluded. Dan Rutherford of the International Council on Clean Transportation, an NGO, calculates that on prepandemic trends the original plan would have covered only 9% of aviation emissions from 2021 to 2035 (when the scheme is scheduled to end).

然而，环保组织对此表示强烈不满。这项计划本身缺乏说服力，因为在2027年之前，这项计划是自愿性质的，而且计划内不包括国内航班，而国内航班的碳排放量大约占航空业的三分之一。产生航空业碳足迹四分之三的国家已经签署了协议，但往返选择加入的国家和尚未加入的国家之间的航班则被排除在外。非政府组织国际洁净运输理事会的丹·卢瑟福计算出，按照疫情前的趋势，在2021年至2035年（计划结束）期间，原计划只覆盖航空排放量的9%。

1 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

2 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

3 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

4 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

6 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

7 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

8 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

9 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

10 offsetting   

n.偏置法v.抵消( offset的现在分词 )；补偿；（为了比较的目的而）把…并列（或并置）；为（管道等）装支管

参考例句：

• Dealers, having concluded a forward contract, should always hedge with an offsetting contract. 外汇经营商在签订了一项远期合同之后总是应进行套头交易签订一项相抵合同。 来自辞典例句
• Where does Germany think offsetting shifts into greater external deficits might occur? 在德国看来，这么大的外部赤字应该转移到哪里？ 来自互联网

11 offsets   

n.开端( offset的名词复数 )；出发v.抵消( offset的第三人称单数 )；补偿；（为了比较的目的而）把…并列（或并置）；为（管道等）装支管

参考例句：

• The following paragraphs deal with intra-source offsets and the so-called \"bubble\" concept. 下面讨论污染源内部的补偿和所谓的“泡泡”概念。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The preceding paragraphs were concerned with inter-source offsets. 前文牵涉到污染源之间的补偿。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

12 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。