US: Senate virus stimulus deal drops airline carbon emissions limits

The bipartisan deal reached on the next coronavirus stimulus bill abandoned a last-ditch effort by House speaker Nancy Pelosi to force US airlines getting a bailout to cut their carbon footprint. The House language stripped from the deal would have linked aid to airlines to a requirement that they halve their carbon emissions over the next 30 years and start offsetting those emissions in 2025. Also struck: a House provision that would have provided US$100m over 5 years for research and development of more sustainable aviation fuels. The nixed climate language also would have directed the airline industry to put in place a continuous audit process to ensure carriers met the 2050 targets. <br/>