France's carbon tax proposal means gas, diesel prices expected to jump
Former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard has introduced his final proposal for a carbon tax, which was one of the star measures announced as "Grenelle de l'environnement." Called "Contribution climat-énergie," the proposal will charge CO2 emitters €32 per metric ton in 2010. This climbs up to €100 in 2030 and then to €200 in 2050. Translated into the automobile world, this corresponds to an increase in fuel prices of about seven percent for and nine percent when it comes to diesel. This will increase the average French motorist's costs in fuel by about €82 a year for gasoline, €58 for diesel. Remarkably for a tax increase, opinion surveys in France are showing a positive response to the measure: 42 percent of French resondents accept the new tax, with an additional 20 percent stating that they were very positive on it. [Source: Alternatives Economiques]
