French PM proposes taxing states that shun Kyoto
Source: Reuters
PARIS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin proposed
on Monday introducing punitive taxes on imports from countries that refused to
sign the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol, which is aimed at curbing global warming.
Kyoto binds 35 developing nations to reduce emissions of greenhouse
gases, but the world's top two polluters, the United States and China have not
signed the pact.
Some 189 countries are debating a united response to the threat of
climate change at a 2-week conference in Nairobi, but Villepin said the talks
were struggling and urged Europe to look at ways of pressurising states into
backing Kyoto.
"Europe has to use all its weight to stand up to this sort of
environmental dumping," the prime minister told a meeting on sustainable
development, according to the text of his speech published on his official
website.
"I would like us to study now with our European partners the principle of
a carbon tax on the import of industrial products from countries which refuse to
commit themselves to the Kyoto protocol after 2012," he said.
Villepin added that France would make concrete proposals about how such a
tax might work in the first quarter of 2007. French officials are also expected
to promote the plan at the Nairobi meeting, which runs until Nov. 17.
"The environment is a global issue. Our efforts will be worthless if we
are the only ones fighting for the future of the planet," the prime minister
said.
On the domestic front, Villepin said his government would impose a tax on
coal usage and would increase taxes on industrial pollution and aircraft noise
pollution by 10 percent.
He also suggested that trucks in "sensitive zones" like the Alpine
regions, might face higher taxes or road tolls.
By contrast, tax breaks would be offered to families that renovated their
houses to make them more energy efficient.
Environmental issues are moving up the French political agenda ahead of
the 2007 presidential elections, with politicians of all colours promoting their
green credentials.
Kyoto has become something of a litmus test of international willingness
to avert what many scientists say will be severe disruptions to the climate such
as heatwaves, floods, desertification and rising sea levels.
U.S. President George W. Bush pulled out of Kyoto in 2001 saying that it
wrongly set no targets for developing nations and would be too costly.
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