Fighting climate change in the air: lessons from the EU directive on global aviation Combatendo a mudan a climática nos ares: as li es da diretiva da UE para a avia o global

The European Union's (EU) decision to include aviation into the Emissions Trade Scheme was heatedly contested. Countries around the world, but mainly the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group (BRICS) and the US, denounced the EU's initiate as illegal and unilateral. Following a decade of frustrated negotiations at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), this paper interrogates why such measure, in principle climate-friendly, inspired so much global resentment. I argue that concerns with competitiveness and risks of legal inconsistency are important, but insufficient elements to explain the core of the conflict. The paper suggests that the EU was strongly criticized because third countries perceived this action as an imposed solution, which fostered an environment of distrust. Therefore, I claim that the problem has more to do with a normative divide than with a substantive divergence on what should be done regarding aviation emissions. My analysis is informed by the present literature on the links between trade and climate change, but gives particular weight to first-hand information through interviews with key stakeholders. The paper is divided in three parts. First, it presents the scope of the EU directive in historical perspective. Second, it explores the EU's measure through three different angles: legal, economical and political. The final part explores some possible solutions to overcome these divergences. A decis o da Uni o Europeia (UE) de incluir a avia o no Esquema de Comércio de Emiss es - Emissions Trade Scheme (ETS) - foi fortemente contestada. Os países ao redor do mundo, especialmente o grupo Brasil, Rússia, índia, China e áfrica do Sul (BRICS) e os EUA, denunciaram a iniciativa da UE como ilegal e unilateral. Após uma década de negocia es frustradas na Organiza o da Avia o Civil Internacional (OACI), este artigo questiona por que tal medida, a principio climaticamente amigável, inspirou tanto ressentimento mundial. Defendo que as preocupa es com a competitividade e os riscos de inconsistência legal s o importantes, mas elementos insuficientes para explicar o cerne do conflito. Este artigo sugere que a UE foi fortemente criticada porque os países terceiros perceberam esta a o como uma solu o imposta, que fomentou um ambiente de desconfian a. Portanto, afirmo que o problema tem mais a ver com uma divis o normativa do que com uma divergência substancial sobre o que deveria ser feito com respeito às emiss es de avia o. Minha análise tem por base a literatura atual sobre as liga es entre o comércio e a mu