Friday April 27, 2007

Carbon tax threatens to ground Asia tourism

peakoil.com -> atimes.com :

Asia's US$100 billion international tourism industry is being put in jeopardy by a campaign by European environmentalists to limit air travel, with politicians poised to price long-haul destinations out of the market. The European Community plans to cap emissions on all aircraft flying out of Europe as part of a carbon-trading scheme that will take effect in 2011. Airlines will have to buy permits for exceeding carbon thresholds, with the cost being passed on to consumers.

In Germany and Britain, where anti-travel sentiment is strongest, would-be travelers are being urged to stay at home, and the issue has found its way onto mainstream political agendas. British Conservative Party leader David Cameron, who may become his country's next prime minister, says he will allow every Briton one short-haul air trip a year and make any subsequent flights unaffordable: what his party terms "pay-as-you-burn, not pay-as-you-earn".

Germany's top state environmental official, Andreas Troge, has backed the green movement, offering an unusual partnership between government and activists that will put the squeeze on airlines. "Anyone who flies to Southeast Asia should know that, by doing so, six tons of carbon dioxide are produced," he said.

Global transport as a whole accounts for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions, about the same as industry and agriculture. The biggest transport source is motor vehicles, which produce 75% of carbon. What drives the politicians is a realization that the issue has captured the public imagination. An Australian poll found that 20% of leisure travelers would consider abandoning air travel altogether because of a perception that it was contributing to global warming.

(2007-04-27 12:28:00 SGT) [Env] Permalink

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