Carbon tax
France has slapped carbon taxes on petrol-guzzling vehicles in a bid bid to clean up polluted air, writes JON HENLEY.
Startwo, Tuesday, 13 July, 2004
FRENCH drivers who favour large, petrol-guzzling cars will have to pay up to 3,500 euros (RM16,100) more for a new model from next January under a radical green road tax scheme unveiled by France 's Environment Ministry.
Part of a new environment bill aimed at cutting air, water and soil pollution over the next five years, the scheme will also reward drivers who opt for smaller, cleaner vehicles with payouts of up to 700 euros (RM3,200).
"It's a carrot-and-stick approach that should cost the taxpayer nothing but should make motorists think twice about the kind of car they need, and the kind of car they buy," an environment ministry spokesman said.
Under the scheme, all new cars sold in France will be divided into five classes, from the least polluting to the most. Most mid-sized family cars, such as the Renault Scenic, will fall into middle "neutral" band, category C, and be liable for either a surcharge or a rebate, the spokesman said.
But smaller runabouts that emit less than 140g per km of carbon monoxide, the main-greenhouse effect gas, will been fit from a rebate ranging from 200 euros to 700 euros (RM920 to RM3,200), as will diesel cars fitted with filters to remove harmful fine particles from their exhaust.
And at the other end of the scale, drivers who opt for a large luxury saloon with a powerful engine emitting more than 180g of carbon dioxide, or for an outsized, diesel-driven four-by-four not fitted with a particle filter, will face a surcharge ranging from 1,500 euros to 3,500 euros (RM6,900 to RM16,100).
According to the ministry, of the two million new cars sold in France each year, roughly one million will fall into category C and not be affected by the measure. The income from the 350,000 big-engined cars sold annually will be used directly to pay the rebates on the 670,000 smaller, more environment friendly models.
According to a recent study by the French Environmental Health and Safety Agency, some 7% of premature deaths from lung cancer and respiratory or cardiovascular problems in France each year could be directly attributable to the pollution from vehicle exhausts.
"More than 30,000 people die in France each year from atmospheric pollution, and between seven and 20% of all cancers have an environmental origin - the government can no longer remain indifferent," said the prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, presenting a French National Health and Environment Plan of which the green road tax is the most radical component.
Among examples cited by the environment ministry of what motorists can expect under the new scheme, the powerful V8 Volkswagen Touareg and Toyota Landcruiser off roaders would both be liable for the maximum 3,500 euros (RM16,100) surcharge. A small Peugeot 206 diesel fitted with a particle filter would have 700 euros (RM3,200) knocked off.
French car manufacturers gave a mainly positive reception to the plan, largely because - unlike their German or Japanese competitors - they do not produce many large luxury models or powerful off-roaders, and are therefore unlikely to be greatly affected. - Guardian Newspaper Ltd.
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