France wants more taxation on air transport pollution

Options may include a tax on kerosene, extra charges on tickets, and the strengthening of the carbon market in Europe, according to a meeting of the European Safety Transport Council in Luxembourg on June 6 this week.

During the meeting, France called for “taxation on air transport on a European scale”.

A statement from the ministry for transport said: “Different avenues of taxation are being envisaged to drive home the “polluter as payee” principle, and France is considering that these avenues should be considered as  soon as possible to determine the best way forward.”

The ministry also welcomed “the commitment of European civil aviation to the path to decarbonisation”, which is enforced through quotas, and the imminent introduction of the Corsia system - the worldwide carbon neutralisation scheme.

The statement comes as the French parliament is considering its own transport laws, and has said it is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality on all land transport in France by 2050.

In May, President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to move forward with “common kerosene taxation in Europe”, and said that “a real international negotiation” was needed on the issue.

Elsewhere, on social media environmental activists have called for a boycott of plane travel, as a means to put pressure on the air transport industries and force them to reduce their carbon emissions.