Sarkozy is walking away from his campaign promise to tax carbon
France has abandoned its carbon tax, fearful that it would hurt the competitiveness of French businesses.
The decision underscores how difficult pricing carbon is not just in France but in the U.S. and across the globe. The law was actually one of French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s cornerstone campaign promise and it came close to becoming law, before being slammed down by the country’s constitutional court.
France’s Environment Minister Chantal Jouanno greeted the news with anger, saying the government was pandering to eco-skepticism, reports the Guardian.
Jouanno adds:
I am in despair over this step back; in despair that eco-skepticism has defeated it. I am not onside with this decision.
Environmentalists argued all along that the carbon tax was riddled with sweetheart deals for carbon-dependent industries. That’s actually why France’s highest court ruled it was unconstitutional in December, arguing its web of loopholes rendered it ineffective.
Francois Fillon, the French prime minister, says his government would only implement a tax if other nations within the European Union also did it.
French environmentalists say a new law is not likely to see the light of day for a long time.
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