France Prepares for Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax. AFP, September 2, 2009. "France will roll out a carbon tax on fuel in 2010, starting at 14 euros (20 dollars) per ton of carbon dioxide emitted, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said in an interview published Thursday. Championed by President Nicolas Sarkozy, the new tax on transport and household fuel is part of France's drive to wean consumers off polluting energies and slash global warming emissions... France's Socialist opposition has warned against penalizing low-income families with a flat levy on fuel, while critics in Sarkozy's camp fear any new tax is political suicide in the current economic climate... Fillon insisted that all revenue from the tax -- estimated at some four billion euros (5.7 billion dollars) -- would be handed back to taxpayers, in the form of 'green checks' or tax cuts elsewhere. 'I assure you there will be no increase in the obligatory taxes. The carbon tax is about transferring taxation, it is not a new tax,' he said... Based on France's commitment to slash global warming emissions by 75% by 2050, a government panel called for a levy of 32 euros for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted, rising to 100 euros per ton in 2030. But the government has already said the levy would start at no more than 15 or 20 euros, in order to avoid a consumer backlash."
2009-09-06
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