Questions of social and economic class must be at the centre of our response to the climate crisis, to address the huge inequalities between the carbon footprints of the rich and poor and prevent a backlash against climate policies, the economist Thomas Piketty has said.
Regulations will be needed to outlaw goods and services that have unnecessarily high greenhouse gas emissions, such as private jets, outsized vehicles, and flights over short distances, he said in an interview with the Guardian.
Rich countries must also put in place progressive carbon taxes that take into account people’s incomes and how well they are able to reduce their emissions, as current policies usually fail to adjust for people’s real needs.
Perhaps, but I think we should always be wary of additional regulations. I wouldn’t say I’m “small government” but I feel like any additional rules has the burden of regulatory cost and unintended consequences.
Just tax the fuck out of fuel IMO. Make it so expensive that people actually change their behavior to minimise the cost.
Most countries have some kind of tax credit system to waive taxes on fuel for particular uses like transporting food and consumer goods, so a heavy tax on fuel doesn’t have to lead to inflation.