Will the next French climate action be ending adverts for flying and raising its eco-tax?
In June this year the French Climate Citizen's Assembly released its conclusions with a series of 149 recommendations for the Government. They covered a wide range of topics and among them there were eight focused on the aviation sector. Unlike the findings of the UK Climate Assembly which are advisory but also included recommendations for controls on ‘high-carbon advertising’, the French proposals have a more binding nature and must be reviewed by the Government. Among the recommended policies was an eco-tax on the aviation sector designed to significantly reduce airline traffic in France, and align the country with its climate targets. A recent study found that the sector not only makes up more than seven percent of France’s carbon footprint but that only a tiny minority of people flying were responsible for a disproportionate number of flights taken - these are the so-called ‘frequent fliers’. Just two percent of the French population accounts for half of all the flights taken by its citizens.
Taxing flights and ending their promotion
The principle adopted by the Citizen Assembly is flights should be taxed in proportion to the distance flown, but also with higher contributions from passengers flying in business class because they take up more space making the journey less carbon efficient. The result of the new proposal would be to increase the eco-tax for a flight of up to 2000km from €1.50 to €30, or if stretched-out in business class it would be €180. For flights over 2000km the tax would be €60 or €400 for a business seat.
But Climate Citizen Assembly went further in its proposals and, like the UK Citizens’ Assembly, also called for adverts for high-carbon goods, such as flights, to be banned as soon as 2023, and their rationale was precisely to stop high-carbon industries from continuing to promote demand for the use and consumption of products harmful to the climate. The idea was met with resistance by the French transport minister and some unions citing concern for jobs. In the wake of the current pandemic, however, there is already the prospect for widespread job losses in the aviation industry which is facing the need to mothball large numbers of its places and rapidly develop plans to convert or radically downsize.
A group of 61 organisations and personalities called for demonstrations in several cities in support fundamental change in the airline sector, including its ultimate phase-out and a just transition plan for workers in the industry. Events were planned in 14 cities across France.
But there are already signs of airlines seeing the writing on the wall and beginning to explore alternatives. A ground breaking collaboration is being discussed between Swiss rail operator SBB, which is lacking train drivers, and aviation company Swiss, which now has a surplus of pilots. Reports of talks between the two operators suggest a rising interest in switching staff from ‘the clouds to the rails’.
The conclusions of the Citizens’ Assembly are currently being reviewed by the French Government, with its translation into official policy scheduled for debate by the beginning of next year, 2021.