Rich states should pay a higher rate of tax on their carbon emissions than poorer ones, according to a Swiss plan presented to the United Nations.
This content was published on
1 minute
The money from the tax would enable the poorest countries to finance measures to deal with climate change.
On Wednesday Swiss Environment Minister, Moritz Leuenberger, presented the idea to a forum on climate held in the framework of the UN General Assembly.
Under the plan, each country would be allowed to produce 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per head of population. The tax would be payable above this level. Part of the money raised would remain in the country to finance national measures, while the rest would go into an international fund, to be spent exclusively in the least developed countries.
Switzerland believes this tax could raise $48.5 million annually. The World Bank has estimated that the total cost of the measures needed to face up to climate change will be between $10 and 40 billion annually.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Politicians ponder Swiss role at the UN
This content was published on
Parliament on Tuesday heard politicians from left and right express dissatisfaction with the multilateral body for its inflexibility and intransigence. There were calls for more principled engagement and democratic reforms. The discussion came as the House of Representatives considered a government report on relations with the international organisation. “Our country should commit more,” said Andreas…
This content was published on
Described as “one of the most frightening films you are ever likely to see” by British newspaper The Guardian, A Crude Awakening is essential viewing for anyone wanting to understand the current crisis and why the future is far from rosy. The documentary, known as The Oil Crash outside English-speaking countries, argues that we are…
This content was published on
The result is the Swiss Climate Foundation, which was officially baptised in Zurich on Friday. It is believed to be the first project of its kind in Switzerland and is financed from a CO2 tax rebate. Insurers Swiss Life, Vaudoise Insurances, XL Insurance, Allianz Switzerland, PartnerRe and Swiss Re, as well as professional services firm…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.