The inequality in our climate change policies
The “yellow vests” incident, which saw protesters rising up against the French government’s planned fuel tax increase, is a call to action against climate change in a world marked with inequality.
The protests overshadow the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where global leaders rub shoulders in Katowice, Poland. The riots pose a big question: how can we stop climate change while bringing fairness to the society?
The riots broke out in mid-November, when tens of thousands people took to the streets across the country to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to introduce higher fuel tax, or the so-called carbon tax, which was initially set to take effect on Jan 1.
The majority of the protesters come from rural areas with low incomes, who were already suffering from a diesel fuel price hike introduced early this year. The nationwide protests, with at least four deaths and hundreds of injuries, forced the government to back down on its plan for six months.
The fuel tax is Mr Macron’s flagship measure to combat climate change — a crisis that requires all countries to work together to limit global temperature increases to 1.5C to prevent climate change-related disasters, such as extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels.
It’s too easy to jump to the conclusion that the protesters are “the biggest obstacle” to the promotion of renewable energy, and — as the media have done in the past few weeks — label the "yellow vests" as right-wing, conservative protesters.
But here’s the dilemma. The carbon tax — if used to fund the research and development of renewable energy — will, in the long run, ensure a healthy environment and drive down the price of alternative energy sources. But in the short run, such tax will push up the cost of living and aggravate the hardship of the lower and middle classes. What's ironic is that they will be among the hardest-hit by climate change, due to their low adaptive capacity.
Moved by the yellow vest protests, many French citizens took part in the movement and expanded their demands beyond revoking the fuel tax. They are also calling for the redistribution of wealth, minimum wage increases and the limiting the privileges of the society's elites, who swallow a large share of the economic pie.
France is not alone in facing opposition on the carbon tax. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax has also provoked fears of increased living costs.
This situation shows equity and fairness isn’t getting enough attention in the building of climate change-related policies.
The speeches of many leaders, elites or celebrities on the topic of climate change highlight the possibility of a future climate apocalypse and the sense of urgency with big words, but most of these speeches rarely talk about the just transition to a low-carbon economy. Many of them own social capital and material wealth, which can offset the rising costs associated with the shift.
The failure to address fairness in climate change policy has allowed climate change deniers — like US President Donald Trump — to take advantage of the public’s anxiety by falsely proclaiming that the decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement was taken to better the lives of the working poor. Unfortunately, Mr Trump’s decision to withdraw from the accord has actually gained more and more support, despite the world’s condemnation.
Ahead of COP24, the Polish government introduced the Silesia Declaration on Solidarity and Just Transition, a document that calls on governments to deliver a just transition to a low-carbon economy by supporting workers in rapidly-changing industries.
While the declaration have been signed by over 30 countries, including France and Thailand, it has also raised fear among climate change campaigners that it may prolong the lives of carbon-intensive industries, especially considering the fact that Poland is a coal-mining country.
But at least, the declaration pays attention to people at the lower part of socioeconomic spectrum. That said, there are still a lot of tough work to be done.
Participation is essential. The French protest shows that a sudden, top-down change can bring violence.
We must find effective ways to inform members of every social class of the pros and cons, as well as the possible solutions for those most-affected by the shift to a low-carbon economy.
The solutions can range from the setup of a mechanism that incentivises sustainable behaviour, to social security schemes that helps those who are effected by the transition, and skills training for workers.
Beyond the carbon tax, another effective way to address both inequality and climate change is through a progressive tax reform.
Revenues generated by wealth and property taxes can be used to help shield vulnerable workers, and at the same time, fund the fight on climate change. However, only a few governments have the courage to do so.
As such, the key to combating climate change is trust among different social classes, which can be fostered by ensuring that everyone benefits from the policies.
The French protest shows that a sudden, top-down change can bring in violence.