The Liberal Democrats would raise taxes on the most polluting cars to up to
£2,000 a year as part of a package of measures designed to combat global
warming, The Times has learnt.
The tenfold increase in vehicle excise duty for the worst offending cars would
provide a “real incentive” for consumers to switch to more
environmentally-friendly cars, the party’s climate change group has said.
The Lib Dems propose that zero carbon vehicles should pay no road tax, and
claim their plans would ensure that road transport emits no carbon by 2050.
The policy is part of a series of measures to be presented during party
conference in an attempt to regain the initiative on the environment from
the Conservatives. It is likely to be adopted as party policy after a vote
at next month’s conference in Brighton. The policy document, Zero
Carbon Britain, claims the Liberal Democrats would ensure that Britain was
carbon-neutral by 2050.
It says: “It is clear that the Labour Government’s aim of a 60 per cent cut in
carbon-dioxide emissions by 2050 will not be enough. A reduction in
emissions of the magnitude that we are advocating will only happen if
developed countries such as the UK take the lead by cutting their emissions.
The objective of climate change strategy must be to make the UK
carbon-neutral over the longer term.”
The party is determined to make the environment a key theme next month and has
pledged to bring together environment, energy and transport together into
one Cabinet brief if it were to win power.
The policy paper also suggests restricting Britain’s runway capacity to
current levels and introducing new pollution taxes covering passenger and
freight flights as part of a package to try to restrict the future expansion
of air travel.
The party reaffirmed its opposition to the Government’s Aviation White Paper,
which the policy group says encourages expansion of large airports. They say
that emissions from air travel are set to rise by 83 per cent on 2002 levels
by 2020, and that they could amount to about a quarter of the UK’s total
contribution to global warming by 2038.
The Lib Dems would charge a climate change levy on domestic flights, as well
as replacing the Airport Passenger Duty with the pollution charge on flights
to all destinations.
The party proposes that, by 2040, all new cars must emit zero carbon, while
all freight must be running on electricity, biofuels or other renewables by
2050. It is also proposing introducing high-speed rail lines, and wants to
turn the Government’s climate change levy into a carbon tax that would apply
to primary fuels.
The Lib Dems want 30 per cent of the UK’s electricity to come from clean, non
carbon emitting sources by 2020, rising to 100 per cent by 2050, providing
new incentives for renewable sources and small-scale micro-generation with
guaranteed prices. It rejects the Government’s plan to introduce a new
generation of nuclear power stations.
The policy document also says that Britain must reach agreement on a much more
ambitious set of targets in the negotiations for the successor to the Kyoto
Protocol, allowing a “multi-stage” approach depending on national
circumstance.
It also thinks that the EU emissions trading scheme should be strengthened,
linking it to the EU target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
broadening the scheme to cover aviation, shopping and road transport through
fuel suppliers.
The proposals
— Ensure Britain produces zero carbon emissions by 2050
— Strengthen emissions trading scheme
— Tighten building and planning standards
— Graduated car tax up to £2,000 and emissions charge per aircraft
rather than passenger duty
— Lorry road pricing on motorways by distance and emissions
— High-speed rail line
— Zero-emission homes from 2011 Introduce “green mortgages” to fund the
upgrading of housing stock Cut half of emissions through use of waste
products for energy generation
— Climate change levy on domestic flights
— Limit runway capacity to current levels
— All new cars must be zero carbon from 2040
Source: Liberal Democrats
The Lib dems are great entertainment - you have to give them that. Under Charles Kennedy they were a credible party, with some credible policies. Now, I think they represent an interesting political experiment - rather like what might have happened to Labour should Neil Kinnock have succeeded in place of Blair. The adoption of increasingly radical policies are presumably intended to differentiate the party, but in practice simply erode what little of the popular vote they still have.
Simon Booker, surrey, UK
Put the tax on fuel. That way the "gas-guzzlers" pay more so will be encouraged to get more efficient vehicles but also that carbon footprint of production will be reflected more closely in its price. Add to that a requirement to pay for the disposal/recycling of all goods and it will become clear whether it is better to stick with an old car or get a new, more efficient one. Also by just increasing fuel duties (and scrapping subsidies) there won't be any extra red tape with armies of bureaucrats needed to oversee it. Not that Gordo will like that given his track record.
Definitely the money raised should be handed back in tax cuts but since the usual complaint is that it will hit the poor hardest, instead of giving a 4p tax cut it would be better to raise the tax threshold to start removing the poor from the tax net completely - reversing another of Gordo's policy. Labour, the party of the people? What a joke!
Rick, Surrey, UK
I have to drive a big old 4x4 'gas guzzler' (can't afford a newer one) I live in a very remote area of Scotland and need the vehicle to shop carry feed for animals etc.. In winter I am occasionally obliged to sleep in the back due to snowed up roads etc. But of course our politicians have no knowledge of life outside the cities or suburbia so what do they care about us inthe country. Having said that, the Libs can promise anything their addled minds hatch because they're never going to get into power anyway. Basically who cares what they say.
D Roberts, North Scotland - no town near, UK
What about those with rarely used sports or classic cars that then use a green method of commute every day?
Car tax is already unfair. Put the tax on the fuel, that way the gas guzzlers pay more and those considering the ozone less (or none if electric!).
Adam, Fareham, Hants, UK
If at some future date it turns out that we are not responsible for Global Warning will the pathetic Lib Dems give us our money back ?
Doug Walker, Brackley, England
The carbon footprint of producing a new car is higher than the fuel consumption over its lifetime, so should we not be concentrating on reducing the volume of vehicles produced?
Car tax, like the TV licence, is an out of date concept. Put the tax on fuel (therefore paying by consumption with no avoidance or expensive burerocracy to enforce it).
I think most people would see that as 'fair' but it has to be tax neutral and totally transparent to the current system in order to gain acceptance
DH, Aberdeen, Scotland
David Whittle: The Lib Dems already intend to use money raised from green taxes to cut income tax by 4p in the pound. (There's a link after the 4th paragraph of this news story.)
Dave Hinton, London, England
I note with interest that all of the political parties have plans to increase "Green" taxes. This is all well and good and everyone seems to agree on the need to cut our carbon emmissions. Unfortunately, what I see happening is jobs beig pushed out of an already overtaxed economy and what I would like to know is what these parties intend to do with the money that is raised?
david whittle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
I can just see the Lib Dem's prime Minister being driven in his armour plated prius or riding his enviromentally friendly bike with a battalion of secret service personel accompanying him.
This type of policy will be okay until they get in power and then they will come up with some excuse for not practising what they preach.
One could then go on to assume that instead of flying off to summit meetings around the world, they will get out their yacht.
Get real, like all politicians they come out with this crap until they get in power.
Jeff Cox, London, England
All perfectly feasible proposals, and very far sighted of the Lib-Dems. People don't have to drive, if housing becomes high-density apartments. Electric cars will not have to be charged from fossil fuels; eventually solar power can do this. At least I hope so; I don't want to worry anyone, but by 2050, barrels of oil will be as rare as whales.
Howard, Johannesburg, South Africa
A similar vehicle surcharge was implemented in Canada a few months ago. Essentially so-called "gas guzzling" vehicles such as large 4x4s would be taxed up to $2,000 while fuel efficient vehicles would receive a rebate of up to $1,000.
Not only does it have no bearing on the purchase decision of would-be 4x4 owners but it doesn't even benefit hybrid buyers: The Toyota Yaris gets a better rebate incentive than its "green" stablemate, the Prius. At present the highest volume car in Canada that receives the rebate is the Yaris to the near effect than the government is taking millions off of the struggling American manufacturers and encouraging people to buy cars from foreign-owned corporations.
I agree with earlier statements, tax the fuel, tax the road, DON'T tax the car! It's inefficient, inaccurate, and does nothing to address the environmental issue.
Scott Millson, Toronto, Canada
Thank you Greens and Liberals. No one, much, will disagree about reducing polution, but consider this. Automatics use more fuel than manual cars. Our car is a diesel manual car, but as one of our family is not strong enough to wrestle with gears and hand brakes without undoing the repairs acheived by extensive physiotherapy we have to have a second, car that we can ill afford, a petrol automatic. This is not from choice. I could I suppose just leave the situation to get worse until as a properly "qualified" disabled person a government provided car is available. There must be many people in similar situations. Help your family to get over the results of NHS bungling and your car tax goes sky high. Our "second car" does about 2500 miles per year. Put the green tax on the fuel not the mere existence of the vehicle.
D.L. Stephens, York, England
What is the government going to do with all this extra money they will generate on these so called "green taxes"? It certainly will not be used on "green issues". There is no such thing as public transport - they are private companies with government subsidies, (which is totally unacceptable); and the buses are extremely polluting - you can even taste the fumes - they should have to clean up their act, and as for electric cars - where does the electricity come from?! If the government is really serious, they would stop jet setting all over the world, and start using web-cams for conferences. They should lead from setting a good example, because they forget we actually employ them!
C. Jones, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Why tax "gas-guzzlers" ? the current regime is ridiculous- why should a low mileage user of a car that emits 226g/km of CO2 pay so much more than a high mileage user of a car that emits 224g/km of CO2? why not just put an extra tax on fuel that would encourage everybody to use less (and thereby reducing emmisions). You also need to remember that the vast majority of a vehicles liftime emisions is taken up by manufacture and recycling and so called "zero emisions cars" are often the worst offenders
Jon, Exeter, UK
I am sure that the pool of the electorate willing to support this measure will be reflected in the number of seats they will occupy after the next election.
If the Greens really want to encourage consumers to lower their so-called 'carbon footprint' (do we really need to suffer that pointless, gooey advert), perhaps we could start by placing a strict limit on the size of the government and the public sector.
Perhaps we could have a starting target of reducing it to 1950 levels.
Edwin Thornber, Bucharest,
Spain is to introduce new taxes in January 2008 where less polluting cars pay less and the others more. The taxes are based on 2006 sales figures and the overall tax collection will be the same, the one difference from rip-off Britain where the politicians seem to be only capable of raising taxes and then wasting the proceeds.
The 1, 6 litre diesel Ford Focus with Euro 4 exhaust standard will drop from a tax of 7% to 4, 75%. There is not space to set it all out here, but it looks good and 60 - 70% equivalent of the cars sold in 2008 will benefit. Those with 200 plus CO2 will pay more. 60% of cars sold in Spain are diesel now, but the fuel is cheaper here than petrol.
But Britain has a problem where as fuel taxes within all EU countries are to be "levelled" by 2010, as Britain's tax is nearly 3 times as much as say Spain, the "pay as you go" tax will be introduced to ensure that the taxes overall stay the same. No wonder so many who can are leaving Britain.
B J Deller, Marbella, Spain
I love it when political parties come up with 'green' taxes. The fact is, it is simply a way of increasing the tax burden and using the environment as an excuse to do so. If the Lib Dems were serious about their environmental credentials, they would use the extra revenue raised to improve public transport (instead of, for example, the Labour party cutting the subsidy of the railways by £1.5 billion per year).
Luke, London,
All perfectly feasible proposals, and very far sighted of the Lib-Dems. People don't have to drive, if housing becomes high-density apartments. Electric cars will not have to be charged from fossil fuels; eventually solar power can do this.
Howard, Johannesburg, South Africa
So all cars that produce zero emissions pay no road tax? and in 2050 all cars will produce zero emissions? so does that mean no road tax in 2050? somehow i dont think so...
james, Dunstable, England
My neighbour has a supposedly fuel efficient diesel car but runs it virtually constantly throughout daylight hours on short journeys while my theoretically more wasteful petrol engined vehicle sits in my drive most of the time as I walk virtually everywhere. Road tax would penalise me leaving the real culprits to do their worse.
Extra tax on fuel is a fairer way forward than either road tax or road pricing and easier to administer as the administrative mechanisms are already in place
Steve, Dunfermline, Scotland
What the hell is a 'green mortgage'?
Mark, Birmingham, UK
What on earth is a zero carbon vehicle???
Electric Cars still have to be charged to some extent, and this is currently done by plugging them in to the wall. i.e. Electricity.
Some of the largest polluters in britain are the fossil fuel power stations.
On as separate note, a more polluting car that is only used on the weekends can easily produce less emissions than a car used everyday.
Most efficient and fair way? Put the green taxes on the fuel, and lower the normal excise duty.
James, London, UK
This is just the usual Lib-Dem perfect world laundry list of policies, I have said it before and I will say it again - It is easy to make promises when you know you have absolutely no hope of ever having to deliver on them - there are only 3 things certain in this life - Death, Taxes, and the fact that the Lib Dems will not form the next Government.
John Kench, Charlotte, NC, Ex-UK
It is time to have individual ratings on fuel consumption. Beating people up about large cars is not on when some people are doing 40 trips a year by plane, or live in houses that take the equivalent in fuel consumption of the National Grid. The motorist is becoming a scapegoat yet again. I wouldn't vote for this, in fact I think it's disgusting. People have to drive these days, it isn't a luxury.
Judy , Liverpool, england