Dear world leaders: in the coming days you

will decide on a carbon tax, which is a crucial

part of climate policy. However, I call on you

to go beyond a carbon tax, and introduce a

complete impact tax. This is what the world

actually needs, because focusing on one type

of impact will lead to dangerous waterbed

effects we cannot afford.

 

Here’s why: an economy that operates

within planetary boundaries is essential

for a safe and affordable future. Today, we

are not only facing a climate crisis, but also

an environmental crisis ánd a biodiversity

crisis. We’re exceeding planetary boundaries

ever more. A carbon tax will pave the way

for «solutions» that may relieve the climate

crisis, but it will leave room for more

pressure on the environment and nature.

 

Two examples: the mining sector will need to

grow at an unprecedented rate to supply raw

materials for the energy transition. Under the

regime of a carbon tax, this sector can freely

pollute. This could lead to an unprecedented

global environmental disaster. Or with the

incentives of a carbon tax, we might switch

from fossil fuels to biomass, which would

further increase the pressure on agricultural

land and nature. We simply do not have the

time nor the money to allow for such f laws in

the economy.

I therefore propose to replace the carbon

tax with an impact tax. Let’s start paying the

true costs of pollution, land degradation,

deforestation, loss of species, et cetera. We

are paying for these losses already, but in

the wrong ways. An impact tax will prevent

dangerous waterbed effects. Moreover, it

will challenge industries, companies and

designers to come up with real solutions

that get us within safe planetary boundaries.

Seeking for thoroughly sustainable solutions

will automatically become business logic

in a world with an impact tax. We would

immediately clean up the mining sector. We

would put way more effort into materials

eff iciency, we would reduce energy demand

instead of shifting towards biomass. We

would restore and protect nature.

 

We would actually start building a safe,

healthy and affordable future.

 

You have the power to make this happen now.

Please use it!

Babette Porcelijn

Babette Porcelijn is the founder and director

of Think Big Act Now foundation an NGO

that helps people to become effective

change agents for a sustainable world She

writes books about our environmental and

social impact The driving question behind

her work is How can we steer the world

towards a safe future for all Think Big and

how can we as individuals contribute Act

Now She uses science and design thinking

to solve societal issues

Babette

Porcelijn