Wereldleiders en bedrijven: ‘Zet nu echt een prijs op CO2-uitstoot’

Gepubliceerd op 22-10-2015 om 11:41

Wereldleiders en bedrijven: ‘Zet nu echt een prijs op CO2-uitstoot’

22 oktober 2015 – De ‘Carbon Pricing Panel’ wil dat er nu echt serieus werk wordt gemaakt van een prijs op de CO2-uitstoot. Staatshoofden, CEO’s van grote bedrijven, de Wereldbank en het IMF make zich sterk voor een ‘global carbon price’.

In het panel zitten onder anderen de Duitse bondskanselier Angela Merkel, de Franse president François Hollande, IMF-directeur Christine Lagarde, Wereldbank-president Jim Yong Kim, maar bijvoorbeeld ook Feike Sijbesma, de CEO van DSM.

Uit een persbericht van de Wereldbank
‘(…) For the first time, an unprecedented alliance of Heads of State, city and state leaders, with the support of heads of leading companies, have joined forces to urge countries and companies around the globe to put a price on carbon. The call to price carbon comes from the Carbon Pricing Panel. (…) These global leaders are calling on their peers to join them in pricing carbon to steer the global economy towards a low carbon, productive, competitive future without the dangerous levels of carbon pollution driving warming. Through strong public policy they are providing certainty and predictability to the private sector so they can make long-term investments in climate smart development.
Private sector support comes from US Institutional Investor CalPERS, ENGIE of France, Mahindra Group of India, and Netherlands-based Royal DSM, who will help link business needs with public policies through the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, an action based platform that will be officially launched in Paris on November 30, 2015. (…)’

Uit een bericht van Edie
‘(…) World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said: “There has never been a global movement to put a price on carbon at this level and with this degree of unison. It marks a turning point from the debate on the economic systems needed for low carbon growth to the implementation of policies and pricing mechanisms to deliver jobs, clean growth and prosperity. The science is clear, the economics compelling and we now see political leadership emerging to take green investment to scale at a speed commensurate with the climate challenge.” (…)
Angela Merkel commented: “Low carbon technologies are an element in the fight against worldwide climate change. With a price for carbon and a global carbon market, we promote investment in these climate friendly technologies. Many governments are already putting a price on carbon as part of their climate protection strategies. We should advance our effort along this path further so that we can actually reach our goal of maintaining the two degree upper limit.” (…)’

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Uit een rapport van Ecofys voor de Wereldbank
‘(…) With the countdown on to the Paris climate change conference, there is clear evidence of growing momentum to put a price on carbon. The growth of carbon pricing around the world has been substantial. Since January 2012, the number of carbon pricing instruments already implemented or scheduled for implementation has almost doubled, jumping from 20 to 38. Moreover, the share of emissions covered by carbon pricing has increased threefold over the last decade.
Currently, about 40 national jurisdictions and over 20 cities, states, and regions—representing almost a quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—are putting a price on carbon. Together, carbon pricing instruments cover about half of the emissions in these jurisdictions, which translates to about 7 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) or about 12 percent of global emissions.
The combined value of the regional, national, and subnational carbon pricing instruments in 2015 is estimated at just under US$50 billion globally, of which almost 70 percent (about US$34 billion) is attributed to ETSs and the remainder (about 30 percent) to carbon taxes. (…)’

Maar Ecofys constateert ook dat er met de prijs nog veel mis is; deze varieert van US$ 1 tot US$ 130 voor een ton CO2. ‘The majority of emissions (85 percent) are priced at less than US$10 per tCO2e, which is considerably lower than the price that economic models have estimated is needed to meet the 2°C climate stabilization goal recommended by scientists.’

Uit een bericht van het Carbon Pricing Panel
‘(…) There are two main types of carbon pricing: emissions trading systems (ETS) and carbon taxes.
An ETS – sometimes referred to as a cap-and-trade system – caps the total level of greenhouse gas emissions and lowers the cap over time. Companies are allowed a limited, and falling, number of emissions permits. Those industries with low emissions are able to sell their extra allowances to larger emitters. By creating supply and demand for emissions allowances, an ETS establishes a market price for greenhouse gas emissions. The cap helps ensure that the required emission reductions will take place to keep the emitters (in aggregate) within their pre-allocated carbon budget.
A carbon tax directly sets a price on carbon by defining a tax rate on greenhouse gas emissions or – more commonly – on the carbon content of fossil fuels. It is different from an ETS in that the emission reduction outcome of a carbon tax is not pre-defined but the carbon price is.
The choice of the instrument will depend on national and economic circumstances. (…)’

Het pleidooi van het Carbon Pricing Panel krijgt onderweg naar ‘Parijs’ steeds meer steun. Van tien oliereuzen, van vele andere bedrijven en de Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders’ Group.
Edie wijst erop dat de milieubeweging enigszins verdeeld is. ‘Greenpeace campaigner Charlie Kronick, said the mechanism was a “costly distraction from meaningful action on emissions” that buys companies “more time to continue business as usual”.’

Boodschap Angela Merkel