Veolia backs corporate carbon tax

Veolia’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Antoine Frerot has spoken at the event, named “A corporate carbon tax – the last chance to stop climate change?” He warned that the fight against climate change calls for a number of measures to be taken. In particular he highlighted that the carbon tax could be implemented in the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris later this year. This will allow businesses, the Government and public bodies to come together to accelerate international sustainable development.

Mr. Frérot, Chairman and CEO of Veolia said:

“COP 21 is a unique, potentially last chance, opportunity to cap global warming at 2 degrees Celsius. This can be best achieved through a carbon tax to be implemented on a large scale.” “Polluting is currently free, whilst decontaminating is expensive. Clearly this is unfair and must change. A carbon tax would incentivise businesses to look towards more sustainable technologies and renewable energies. In addition, the money raised by the tax can be invested in sustainable technology and paid to those who invest to ensure their operations are ‘carbon-free’. There needs to be a system where the ‘polluter-pays’ and the ‘environmentally conscious’ are supported.” “The EU can, and must, lead on the issue by introducing its own carbon tax. Whilst a tax would make EU goods more expensive, negative effects could be offset by a carbon customs duty on goods entering the EU. Without action, life will become unsustainable in some regions, extreme weather will become the norm and we risk huge geopolitical and economic consequences.”