Rallies are about seeking equality

The “yellow vests” protest phenomenon which gripped France over the past few weeks may make some policymakers engaged in a fight against global warming think about a policy U-turn. It should not be so. The protests, which turned violent with at least four deaths and more than 100 injuries, were triggered by increases in fuel taxes that caused concerns over the high cost of living. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the fuel tax increase as a measure to tackle climate change to fulfil the country’s commitment in accordance with the 2015 Paris agreement.

As the yellow vest, or gilets jaunes, protests intensify, US President Donald Trump earlier this month ridiculed his French counterpart’s tax efforts that led to violence.

“I am glad that my friend @EmmanuelMacron and the protesters in Paris have agreed with the conclusion I reached two years ago,” Mr Trump tweeted late on Tuesday.

“The Paris Agreement is fatally flawed because it raises the price of energy for responsible countries while whitewashing some of the worst polluters,” Mr Trump added, as he attacked the 2015 climate agreement. Shortly after winning the election, Mr Trump announced Washington would withdraw from the accord, much to the dismay of global leaders. Mr Macron instead decided to take the leading role in cutting back greenhouse gases.

Due to the violence, the French government suspended the tax increase, which was initially set to take effect next month.

The ongoing violence coincides with the climate conference that is currently taking place in the city of Katowice, Poland. It’s unfortunate that the conference goes on almost unnoticed while the public focus their attention on the violence that has now entered a fourth week.

Early yesterday, Paris was in lockdown with thousands of French security forces braced to meet renewed rioting. More than 300 were detained at the time of print.

Yet Mr Trump’s message echoes his ignorance and shallowness. It’s true that the French yellow vest protesters are angry with rising living costs, pushed by the fuel taxes increase, but the heart of the matter is inequality. Their demand is to get the rich to pay their fair share of taxes overall. In short, the protesters want Mr Macron to reverse his tax breaks for the wealthy and his resistance intensified the frustration.

Their demand is to get the rich to pay their fair share of taxes overall ... they want Mr Macron to reverse his tax breaks for the wealthy.

People should confuse the gilets jaunes movement with the climate issue. In particular, the yellow vest violence should not make people forget that the world needs serious efforts to combat climate change, blamed for extreme climate patterns that have battered many parts of Earth. A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of scientists convened by the United Nations to guide world leaders, projects the immediate consequences of climate change. Likely disasters range from heavy rainfall, floods, species losses and sea-level rises that will continue even if CO2 emissions are cut to zero.

In Poland, negotiators take aim at establishing rules and plans on the implementation of the 2015 Paris climate accord. That document calls for nations to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to keep temperatures from rising more than 2C compared to pre-industrial levels. Scientists agree that the temperature rise should preferably be no more than 1.5C.

For Thailand, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha signed the Paris accord in 2015 which means the country is voluntarily committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 20% to 25% by 2030 based on 2005 emission levels. However, some critics see Thailand’s climate efforts as conservative. The country’s performance, according to a scorecard formulated by Berlin-based environmental organisation Germanwatch, is modest as it achieves a rank of 36 among the 60 countries listed. Comparatively, the US is ranked 56, followed by Australia at 57.

But the modesty does not mean policymakers can be complacent. On another list by Germanwatch — the 2017 Climate Risk Index which describes the impacts of extreme weather events — Thailand is ranked at 10th. The country has been battered by severe weather over the past year and has suffered damages estimated at US$4.37 billion (143.5 billion baht).

The climate commitment means Thailand has to seriously turn its back against coal as a fuel source, and staunchly invest in renewables. There must be research and development studies to promote the efficiency of alternative energy, in order to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, the major culprit for global warming. There are no other choices but to stay committed and make the Paris accord effective.

But as a country with extreme inequality, it would be best for Thailand to learn from the root case of the yellow vest phenomenon. It’s not just the higher cost of living, but the issue of wealth gap that must be eradicated.