December 15, 2009
(The joint appeal, as it appeared on President Sarkozy’s website
APA-Kigali (Rwanda) A joint call by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi for new taxes on aviation, shipping and financial transactions could raise the billions needed to tackle climate change and break the deadlock in Copenhagen, said the international development agency ActionAid in a statement issued here Tuesday.
The two leaders called for the taxes as part of a joint EU-Africa push to reach a global accord at the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark due to end on Friday.
In a statement availed to APA, ActionAid’s Climate Justice Coordinator, Tom Sharman said : “Without new money on the table we are not going to reach a just global deal on climate change. Taxes on aviation, shipping and financial transactions have the potential to raise billions of dollars to combat climate change in developing countries.”
According to figures released by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a financial transaction tax could raise up to US$100 billion a year.
Research for the Stamp Out Poverty coalition suggest taxes on aviation and shipping could raise more than US$10 billion each.
“An idea to use Special Drawing Rights, a proposal made by George Soros of the Soros Foundation last week, also deserves further consideration,” said the ant-poverty agency that has also called on rich nations to back Africa’s position if millions are to be saved from hunger.
According to ActionAid, finance is a key issue if any global agreement is to be implemented and without new money the world’s poorest countries will not be able to adapt to climate change.
Meanwhile, APA has also reliably learnt here on Tuesday that the Rwandan President Paul Kagame is expected to later join other world leaders at the ongoing Copenhagen conference. Already, a high powered Rwandan delegation led by the Environment Minister Stanislaus is in Denmark.
