As Earth Day is fast approaching, individuals and organisations all over the world are asking for action.
In Europe, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is asking the European Commission to propose a new legislation:
A price for carbon to fight climate change
We ask the European Commission to propose a EU legislation to discourage the consumption of fossil fuels, encourage energy saving and the use of renewable sources for fighting global warming and limiting temperature increase to 1,5°C.
Main objectives:
Our proposal introduces a minimum price on C02 emissions, starting from 50€ per CO2 tonne from 2020 up to 100€ by 2025. At the same time, the proposal shall abolish the existing system of free allowances to EU polluters and introduce a border adjustment mechanism on non-EU imports, in such a way as to compensate for the lower pricing on CO2 emissions in the exporting country. The higher revenue deriving from carbon pricing shall be allocated to European policies that support energy saving and the use of renewable sources, and to the reduction of taxation on lower incomes.
On the occasion Earth Day on the 22nd of April, Marco Cappato, coordinator of the “World Congress for freedom of scientific Research”, co-founder of “Science for Democracy” and a former member of the European Parliament 1999-2009, launches a call to action:
I’d like everyone to get involved to face Climate Change concretely, together. Right now, while we’re locked in our homes because of the Covid19 pandemic. Because right now enormous amounts of public funds will be invested, and it is essential that part of this money goes to climate action projects. There won’t be another opportunity like this one, and there is not much time left. If 1 million European citizens subscribe to the online petition by 20th of July, the European Union will be obliged to acknowledge the proposal and consider to put a price on CO2 emissions, reducing taxes on lower incomes.
You can take part in the online campaign, signing on the website and inviting your friends and colleagues to sign. To involve citizens across Europe it is important to get social media attention from different sectors, including Arts & Culture and Media & Entertainment personalities who are sensitive to the climate issue: we need signatures from at least 7 member states.
Former member of Milano City Council (2011-2016), Marco Cappato was nominated for the 2003 Wired “Politician of the year” and recently won the “European of the Year” award organised by the “European voice” in 2019.