A Response to Climate Change

The 'Carbon Tax' on UK Motorists

A simple exercise to convert the duty on petrol to an equivalent carbon tax shows that motorists in the UK are paying some €1,000 or $1,500 per tonne of carbon emitted for the privilege of driving a car! This may be compared with the price of a carbon dioxide permit purchased under Phase II of the EU's scheme whose equivalent cost currently only amounts to some €15 x 44/12 = €55 per tonne of carbon emitted.

Carbon Emissions from Aircraft and Ships

Whilst aviation and shipping along with other mobile and non-domestic sources were excluded from the emissions-reduction targets agreed under the Kyoto convention of 1997, there has been growing pressure to include these two sectors in any successor to the protocol. Their contribution to total global emissions is around 5%, is growing and should be easier to regulate than the much larger road sector (of which more in a later posting).