US showing no sign of change on climate policy

Barack Obama’s decision to endorse a law banning US airlines from participating in the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) is a sign climate might remain a low priority during his second term in office, said commissioner Connie Hedegaard.

“I take it that the signing [of the law on Tuesday] is very much linked to the domestic situation in the US and co-operation with the Congress,” she commented on Wednesday.

In practice the new US law has no immediate impact because earlier this month, Ms Hedegaard proposed to temporarily exclude non-domestic flights from its ETS.