Finance Minister Brown Backs Taxes On Air Travel And Gas Guzzlers
London (AFP) Nov 24, 2006 British finance minister Gordon Brown backs substantially increasing taxes on air travel, and gas guzzling cars, the Financial Times reported on Friday. Citing unnamed British civil service sources, the newspaper said that Chancellor of the Exchequer Brown supports indirect taxation on some of the biggest carbon emitters as a way to change behaviour. His pre-budget report, due in early December, is likely to increase the top rate of duty for the most polluting cars, and to raise air passenger duty, which currently ranges from five pounds (9.6 dollars, 7.4 euros) for short-haul flights to 40 pounds for long-haul trips. Brown's decisions on so-called "green taxes" come in the wake of a report commissioned by the British government that said that inaction on global warming could cost the world up to a fifth of its gross domestic product. The report, authored by former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern, also recommended an expansion of carbon trading schemes, which Brown will use the pre-budget report to support -- he will back moves to link the EU's scheme with similar ones operated by certain American states.
Source: Agence France-Presse Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Chancellor of the Exchequer Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
Chinese Scientists To Take Part In ITER Construction Beijing, China (XNA) Nov 23, 2006 An agreement on the construction of the world's first international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) was signed in Paris on Tuesday. |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |