A delicate balance must be found, because not a single industry or a single country will accept to bear most of the burden alone.

reduce purchasing power. And since they do not take into account differences in income, they can be unjust for households living in the most insecure circumstances. To be both effective and just, taxes on consumption must be combined with a system of redistribution.

The price of carbon must not be the same for all

The economic players in a given country are not all equally sensitive to carbon. Some sectors could be seriously handicapped, if the specifics of their activities are not taken into consideration. On a worldwide scale, the differences between the situations and resources in developed and developing countries are such that applying a single price would be meaningless. A delicate balance must be found, because not a single industry or a single country will accept to bear most of the burden alone. It is essential that a first club of countries commits to introducing carbon prices with a price corridor that increases over time.

2015 is a key year

Both developed and emerging countries must make concrete, measurable and verifiable commitments during the COP21 conference. The conference must establish the legitimacy of the price of carbon and make it easier to be understood and accepted all over the world. Without strong political will, there is a serious risk of slipping into fatalism, whereas we know that the cost of inaction will ultimately become colossal.

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OPINIONS