Sarkozy Government Shelves Carbon Tax - France Had Been Only Major Economy Possibly Enacting One

[hatrack]

The government shelved the proposed carbon tax, one of Mr Sarkozy's key reforms, a day after the president replaced a top minister in a reshuffle after his UMP party's defeat by Left-wing rivals in regional elections.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched in the streets and teachers, train drivers and other public workers stayed off work to protest job cuts and plans for pension reform.

The president has vowed to press on with changes to state pensions. But the carbon tax, a major plank of his environmental policy touted as France's leading contribution to anti-global warming efforts, was put on hold. Prime Minister Francois Fillon said in a statement that the government still aimed to implement a carbon tax but this could only be done "in common with other European countries" and France would push the EU to take a common position.

The UMP leader in parliament, Jean-Francois Cope, said after a meeting with Mr Fillon that the tax will not be introduced in July as planned "unless there is a European accord." The plan would have made France the first big economy to tax harmful carbon emissions, aiming to encourage French consumers to stop wasting energy. But business lobbies feared it would penalise French industry.

EDIT

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/7508231/France-shelves-carbon-tax-plan.html

[Oregone]

1. British Columbia has one

So all my gas at the pump, electricity & natural gas is marked up. At the end of the day, Im not positive how paying that tax has reduced my carbon emissions.

[wtmusic]

2. It is (and should be) mostly invisible to consumers.

It's making low-carbon sources more economical for your electric utility to buy, and making home appliances and cars that run on them a better value.

Gonna take a while.

[Oregone]

3. Well, its definitely not invisible here. Its on my utility statements

:)

[wtmusic]

4. Does your utility offer "green" power?

Mine offers a 60% renewable energy plan. I pay for it, and it's not cheap. The carbon tax hopefully encourages more people to spring for plans like this. Power's going to be more expensive for carbon users, but frankly it should be.

[Oregone]

5. Not that Im aware of. It is mostly "green"

I think 90% of it is renweable or something. I know 80% of their power is hydroelectric from 2 different Dams. Google BC Hydro. Almost makes that carbon tax not make a lot of sense.

But it makes sense for natural gas and gas at the pump.

[wtmusic]

6. That is strange.

That's something I would follow up on. Getting a carbon tax for water going over the falls? I don't think so.

[pscot]

7. I think it's called having it both ways

They get credit for doing the green thing while weakening public acceptance of the tax. Just a guess, of course.