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Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Spain and France go after mega-rich in huge changes to air travel rules
France and Spain are among a group of countries that have pledged to tax premium flying and private jets. In a bid to raise funds for climate action and sustainable development, the European nations along with Kenya and Barbados have committed to upping the levy. It is not yet known how much the levy would be, with details of how the mechanism would work expected at the COP30 climate summit this November. However, in a report published on June 19, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force estimated that these measures could 'generate substantial revenues' of up to €187 billion (£160 billion). Changes in the national legislation of the countries involved is planned as soon as next year, Climate Home News reports. Tensions erupt at UK's most exclusive billionaire's private jet fair The initiative was launched at the UN Finance for Development summit in Seville, Spain. Representatives from governments, financial institutions, and civil society are attempting to determine how to channel more money towards efforts to tackle climate change, among other issues. The coalition's goal is 'to increase the number of countries applying taxes on airline tickets, including for luxury travel, and to tax private jets based on best practices,' the French Élysée's said in a statement. Sierra Leone, Benin, Antigua and Barbuda and Somalia, also backed the pledge, which will get technical support from the European Commission, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force said in a separate statement. Rebecca Newsom of Greenpeace told Reuters that the move was "an important step towards ensuring that the binge users of this undertaxed sector are made to pay their fair share". "Flying is the most elitist and polluting form of travel, so this is an important step toward ensuring heavy users of this undertaxed sector pay their fair share," she said. The coalition on premium flying levies was born out of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, which launched in 2023. It has been looking for ways to raise new sources of finance for climate and development from sectors that contribute disproportionately to global carbon emissions, or those that are undertaxed, such as aviation, fossil fuels or financial transactions. Friederike Röder, director of the task force's secretariat, told Climate Home that targeting aviation first is a 'very pragmatic' choice. 'It's something that can be put in place quite quickly, it makes sense economically speaking from a tax justice and climate perspective, and can generate a significant sum,' she said. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the coalition would 'work toward a greater contribution from the aviation sector' to improve 'climate resilience'. Earlier this year, tensions flared at an ultra-luxury private jet fair when protesters unfurled banners and chanted for the abolition of billionaires. Overall private aviation emissions increased by 46% between 2019-2023, with industry expectations of continued strong growth, according to one Nature journal Communications Earth & Environment study. It also found that most of these small planes spew more heat-trapping carbon dioxide in about two hours of flying than the average person does in about a year. In 2023, roughly a quarter million of the super wealthy, who were worth a total of $31 trillion, emitted 17.2 million tons (15.6 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide flying in private jets. That's about the same amount as the overall yearly emissions of the 67 million people who live in Tanzania. Stefan Gossling, a transportation researcher at the business school of Sweden's Linnaeus University, said the issue wasn't so much the emissions, which remain a small part of those produced globally, but the lack of fairness. 'The damage is done by those with a lot of money and the cost is borne by those with very little money,' Gossling said. A separate report by Oxfam claimed that billionaires emit more carbon pollution in 90 minutes than the average person does in a lifetime.
Local France
01-07-2025
- Business
- Local France
France and Spain lead efforts to tax private jets
The two European nations – along with Kenya, Benin, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Barbados plus Antigua and Barbuda – launched a coalition at a UN conference on development financing in Seville to tighten up taxation of the aviation sector, including the prospect of taxes on private jets and passengers travelling in business or first class. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the coalition would 'work toward a greater contribution from the aviation sector' to improve 'climate resilience'. In a statement, France's Élysée palace confirmed this initiative, specifying that it aims to 'improve the mobilisation of national revenues in developing countries and support international solidarity,' with particular emphasis on adapting to climate change. Advertisement The coalition's goal is 'to increase the number of countries applying taxes on airline tickets, including for luxury travel, and to tax private jets based on best practices,' the Élysée's statement continued, while ensuring 'further progress in countries that already have such levies.' The announcement was welcomed by Greenpeace, which urged 'all countries to join and implement the commitments' made by this 'new solidarity coalition' in time for COP30, which will be held in November in Belem, Brazil. 'Flying is the most elitist and polluting form of travel, so this is an important step toward ensuring heavy users of this undertaxed sector pay their fair share,' insisted Rebecca Newsom, head of Greenpeace's 'Stop Drilling, Start Paying' campaign. At COP28 in 2023, Barbados, France, and Kenya launched a working group, with the support of the European Commission, to consider so-called 'global solidarity' levies on polluting sectors such as fossil fuels and aviation. This group, which has since worked on the introduction of specific taxes on private jets and airline tickets, estimated in a report published on June 19th that these measures could 'generate substantial revenues' of up to €187 billion. France already levies an 'eco tax' on airline tickets , which is charged on a sliding scale with higher rates for first class tickets and private jets.
Local Spain
01-07-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
France and Spain lead efforts to tax private jets
The two European nations – along with Kenya, Benin, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Barbados plus Antigua and Barbuda – launched a coalition at a UN conference on development financing in Seville to tighten up taxation of the aviation sector, including the prospect of taxes on private jets and passengers travelling in business or first class. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the coalition would 'work toward a greater contribution from the aviation sector' to improve 'climate resilience'. In a statement, France's Élysée palace confirmed this initiative, specifying that it aims to 'improve the mobilisation of national revenues in developing countries and support international solidarity,' with particular emphasis on adapting to climate change. The coalition's goal is 'to increase the number of countries applying taxes on airline tickets, including for luxury travel, and to tax private jets based on best practices,' the Élysée's statement continued, while ensuring 'further progress in countries that already have such levies.' The announcement was welcomed by Greenpeace, which urged 'all countries to join and implement the commitments' made by this 'new solidarity coalition' in time for COP30, which will be held in November in Belem, Brazil. 'Flying is the most elitist and polluting form of travel, so this is an important step toward ensuring heavy users of this undertaxed sector pay their fair share,' insisted Rebecca Newsom, head of Greenpeace's 'Stop Drilling, Start Paying' campaign. At COP28 in 2023, Barbados, France, and Kenya launched a working group, with the support of the European Commission, to consider so-called 'global solidarity' levies on polluting sectors such as fossil fuels and aviation. This group, which has since worked on the introduction of specific taxes on private jets and airline tickets, estimated in a report published on June 19th that these measures could 'generate substantial revenues' of up to €187 billion. France already levies an 'eco tax' on airline tickets, which is charged on a sliding scale with higher rates for first class tickets and private jets.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Coalition of Eight Nations Pushes for Luxury Air Travel Tax to Aid Climate Change Efforts, ET Infra
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. Countries including France, Kenya, Barbados and Spain on Monday launched a coalition to push for taxes on wealthy air passengers to help poorer nations respond to climate change, the French presidency coalition, which also brings together Somalia, Benin, Sierra Leone and Antigua and Barbuda, said it would work to increase the number of countries taxing plane tickets, including business-class travel, and private air industry is a major source of the polluting emissions that contribute to global warming, which inflicts its worst impacts on vulnerable developing countries that are least of November's UN climate summit in Brazil, the French presidency said in a statement the group would work on making the aviation sector contribute more to funding climate aim would be to plough at least some of the tax proceeds into "resilient investments and fair transitions" and help poorer countries raise more domestic revenue, a key factor for development, the statement Kenya and Barbados have previously lobbied for such "solidarity levies" to raise money for climate action, suggesting taxes on shipping, fossil fuels, plastic and group has suggested levies on flying could raise up to 187 billion euros (USD 220 billion) if they were applied across the board. Greenpeace welcomed an "important step" to raise more money from "the most elite and polluting form of travel", which has remained "undertaxed"."Bold, cooperative action that makes polluters pay is not just fair - it's essential," Greenpeace's global political lead Rebecca Newsom said in a announcement came during a UN development conference in Spain that aims to deliver fresh impetus for a sector reeling from severe cuts to foreign aid, which have repercussions for poor countries' battle against climate nations that have historically done the most to drive climate change are obliged to provide finance to help poorer countries adapt to its consequences under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Scoop
01-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Alliance Of Climate Civil Society Organisations Rally In Seville For Global Levies To Make Polluters Pay
30 June, Seville, Spain — A global coalition of civil society leaders, including Global Citizen, the Glasgow Action Team and Greenpeace International, have rallied this morning outside the FIBES Conference Center in Seville, where world leaders gather for the 4th UN International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Their message: No more free riders. It's time for polluters and the ultra-rich to pay their fair share. The rally centered around a bold new demand for Solidarity Levies—international taxes on fossil fuels, aviation, shipping, financial transactions, and billionaires—to fund climate resilience and equitable development in countries most affected by climate change. The action accompanies an open letter signed by more than 47 NGOs – representing 231 organisations – underscoring the broad and diverse backing for the call to Make Polluters Pay. The rally centered around a large banner declaring 'Make Polluters Pay: Solidarity Levies Now,' alongside placards and powerful street visuals, including Spanish-inspired traffic signs to highlight the responsibility of highly polluting sectors. The coalition is urging world leaders at FFD4 to adopt taxes and fines on the world's most polluting industries for fueling storms, floods, heat waves, drought and wildfires, as well as other climate related disasters. World governments are also encouraged to join the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, led by Barbados, France and Kenya, and backed by governments and institutions like the UN, IMF, and African Union. The goal: to raise much needed revenue to fight against climate change and support development and nature through international levies that reflect the responsibility of polluters and elites. 'The richest individuals and dirtiest industries are profiting while the planet burns,' said Andrew Nazdin, Director of the Glasgow Actions Team. 'Solidarity levies are not only fair — they're necessary for a liveable future.' 'We must hold oil and gas corporations to account for the enormous damage they cause,' said Rebecca Newsom, Global Political Lead for Greenpeace's Stop Drilling, Start Paying campaign. 'As fossil fuel barons rake in obscene profits, and people are battered with increasingly violent floods, storms and wildfires, it's no surprise that 8 out of 10 people support making them pay. Members of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force and rich countries around the world should act upon this enormous public mandate: commit to higher taxes on fossil fuel profits and extraction by COP30, while ensuring that those being hit hardest by the climate crisis around the world benefit most from the revenues.' 'Right now, world leaders face a clear choice: will they do what's fair and necessary?' said Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder of Global Citizen. 'Citizens across major economies — from the U.S. to the EU to Brazil — are on board. They want action to fix the climate crisis and support the communities being hit the hardest. The ask is simple: those most responsible for the damage should help pay for the solutions. Over 55,000 global citizens have already backed this call. It's not about politics — it's about fairness, and securing a better future for all of us.' Louise Hutchins, from Make Polluters Pay Coalition said, 'If we're serious about ending the debt crisis in the Global South and halting climate breakdown, we need a global financial system that holds those driving the crisis to account - starting by making the big polluters pay. For 50 years, oil and gas giants have raked in $1 trillion a year while driving devastating climate damage. The emissions of the richest 1% is more than that of half of the world combined. Success at this summit means ending this grotesque state of affairs.' The rally follows a march of thousands across the streets of Seville on Sunday night and is part of a broader week of action at the FfD4, where campaigners are calling for debt cancellation, progressive global taxation, and a finance system that puts people and the planet first. The Vatican's advocacy arm bolstered these messages with a live mural, installed in the heart of Seville, calling for a solution to debt injustice. Campaigners are demanding urgent steps to dismantle illegitimate debt burdens, establish a UN-based framework for debt resolution, and stop the influence of powerful nations and institutions that continue to impose economic domination over the Global South.
