‘Unfair’ jet fuel is exempt from carbon tax while households suffer, says expert
May 7, 2024
‘Unfair’ jet fuel is exempt from carbon tax while households suffer, says expert
by PoppedCork
9 comments
Farmers exempt too despite being the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland
Framing it as airlines paying no tax vs. Individuals paying tax is a bit misleading though. If we tax jet fuel, it just means more expensive air travel. It will hit airlines through some reduction in demand, but it’s still just an increase in prices paid by consumers. I’m not arguing against it (I think it should be taxed) but I feel like people will complain that it’s not being taxed, but then will also complain when the cost of a foreign holiday increases.
Jet fuel has recently been brought into the Emission Trading System, a different form of carbon tax
The shifting of responsibility onto the household rather than the actual polluters (industry, aviation, etc) is a deliberate effort to ensure profits are not impacted and the narrative stays firmly on the individual. Don’t forget the big oil company BP were the one who heavily promoted the idea of a “carbon footprint”.
But if you taxed jet fuel the same, we all end up paying more ourselves so what’s the difference?
No, what’s actually unfair is the idea that, for the sake of 2% of global emissions, Irish people should have to stay on a miserably empty and rural island, while people in mainland Europe get to enjoy massive improvements to their high speed rail networks, even though they already live in much more exciting and urban places, and therefore have less reason to travel than Irish people do on the first place!
Start with private jets if you’re interested in ‘fairness’. Travel for the rich only seems the be the plan.
IN GENERAL, all costs are pushed to the consumer and the industries are fucking slow to deal with things, because they want themselves and investors, the people they really care about, to make the maximum profits. There’s almost no incentive or reason not to shaft the consumer first.
If and when jet fuel gets taxed it’ll just mean a rise in ticket prices first and a slow slow drip feed adoption of more cost effective or green fuels.
9 comments
Farmers exempt too despite being the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland
Framing it as airlines paying no tax vs. Individuals paying tax is a bit misleading though. If we tax jet fuel, it just means more expensive air travel. It will hit airlines through some reduction in demand, but it’s still just an increase in prices paid by consumers. I’m not arguing against it (I think it should be taxed) but I feel like people will complain that it’s not being taxed, but then will also complain when the cost of a foreign holiday increases.
Jet fuel has recently been brought into the Emission Trading System, a different form of carbon tax
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_7609
The actual cost of ‘cheap’ holidays
The shifting of responsibility onto the household rather than the actual polluters (industry, aviation, etc) is a deliberate effort to ensure profits are not impacted and the narrative stays firmly on the individual. Don’t forget the big oil company BP were the one who heavily promoted the idea of a “carbon footprint”.
But if you taxed jet fuel the same, we all end up paying more ourselves so what’s the difference?
No, what’s actually unfair is the idea that, for the sake of 2% of global emissions, Irish people should have to stay on a miserably empty and rural island, while people in mainland Europe get to enjoy massive improvements to their high speed rail networks, even though they already live in much more exciting and urban places, and therefore have less reason to travel than Irish people do on the first place!
Start with private jets if you’re interested in ‘fairness’. Travel for the rich only seems the be the plan.
IN GENERAL, all costs are pushed to the consumer and the industries are fucking slow to deal with things, because they want themselves and investors, the people they really care about, to make the maximum profits. There’s almost no incentive or reason not to shaft the consumer first.
If and when jet fuel gets taxed it’ll just mean a rise in ticket prices first and a slow slow drip feed adoption of more cost effective or green fuels.