European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra proposes to encourage Europeans to choose cleaner and greener technologies in such sectors as transportation and heating by changing the tax system. The EU also plans to revise emission standards for new vehicles.
Writes UNN with reference to Euronews and European Audiovisual Observery.
The European Commissioner for Climate and Taxation, Wopke Hoekstra, promised to use his expanded powers to “ensure coherence between tax policy and climate goals.
I firmly believe that taxation is a key pricing tool for achieving climate goals ... It has the potential to be a catalyst for transformation, encouraging people and businesses to make more sustainable choices.
It should be noted that a previous attempt to reach a consensus on the Fit for 55 package - reducing emissions by 2030 - by introducing minimum tax rates on kerosene and motor oil across the EU by 2049 caused outrage among climate activists and some governments of the bloc.
For reference
Former Dutch finance minister who last year took over as the EU's top climate official. His compatriot Frans Timmermans resigned to return to domestic politics.
Revision of emission standards for new cars by 2026 remains in force
The European Commission is planning a critical review of emission standards for new vehicles, expected in 2026. The EU has reiterated the importance of a technology-neutral approach to achieving climate goals by 2035, as evidenced by recent statements by Wopke Hoekstra, the next climate commissioner, and Teresa Ribera, the Commission's future vice president for climate policy.
On the eve of the November hearing, Hoekstra emphasized that the goal of achieving climate neutrality for cars by 2035 is crucial to provide certainty for investors and manufacturers.
Achieving this goal will require a technology-neutral approach, in which synthetic fuels play an important role, through targeted regulatory change as part of the planned revision of