desertdudeshj wrote:Carbon tax is again nothing but a revenue making ploy. Its got nothing to do with being green or being a deterent.
Well I can understand, to a degree, how some would subscribe to that misinformed viewpoint, you really should try to look further than the end of your nose DDS before coming out with such a statement!
The Carbon Trust is an independent not for profit company set up by the UK Government with support from business to take the lead on low carbon technology, providing specialist support to help business and the public sector boost business returns by cutting carbon emissions, saving energy and commercialising low carbon technologies.
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/Pages/Default.aspxThere are similar organisations in most other European Countries.
Carbon Tax is imposed to counter the irresponsible actions of those who consume fossil fuels inefficiently and irresponsibly, the revenue goes into the receiving Government coffers, yes, but there is investment by those Governments, developing Sustainable and Green technologies and businesses.
Industry and Governments trade Carbon Credits as a commodity for Cash, 1 Tonne of Carbon is currently worth €34 per Tonne.
Think about this? We’ve been sucking oil out of the earth on an industrial scale for the last, say 100 Years, our scientists agree that we have now reached Peak Oil, which is the point in time when the maximum rate of global oil extraction has been attained, after which, the rate of production enters terminal decline, so if we ramp down oil extraction at the same rate it was ramped up, we will run out of oil completely within 2 generations! And think of the prices you will pay for fossil fuels when availability is in decline, and demand goes unchecked?
Gulf and ME airlines already have an unfair advantage over most of their competitors by way of Export Credit Guarantees made available from manufacturing Countries to buy their new fleets of aircraft, have they passed their financial advantage on to their customers? No. Have they invested in R&D of Sustainable and greener fuels to address their Carbon Footprint? Well some have, there is a JV between Etihad and Qatar Airways to develop a biofuel and biofuel/Carbon mix but the rest just go on making huge profits, and all at the expense of the Environment, thank you very much!
You don't expect airlines to take the hit, as always pass it on.
They will pass some of it on, they will have to, but they will still have to remain competitive with other airlines on the same routes. I don’t believe any ME Country has a Carbon Footprint reduction policy and I firmly believe any such policy would directly conflict with their revenue streams so I don’t envisage the introduction of any such policies anytime soon, but why should they be allowed to fly over European airspace without any Carbon Trading Agreements when European airlines have been forced to and for some time now with the tax about to increase substantially, so in my opinion, taxing Gulf and other ME airlines makes for a level playing field in the air transport industry and will be beneficial, in the long run, to the environment.