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US COVID-19 mitigation efforts resulting in significant decline in traffic, emissions and fuel-tax revenues

Green Car Congress

This puts the US on track to meet its annual goals for GHG reduction under the Paris Climate Accord. If traffic remained reduced for one year, the reduction in VMT would allow California to meet half of its 2050 climate change target. Fuel saved, tax revenue lost. Fuel use dropped from 4.6 billion per week.

Fuel Tax 243
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President Biden calls on Congress, States for fuel tax holiday; increase in refinery capacity

Green Car Congress

President Biden called on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for the next 90 days, through the busy summer driving season—18 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24 cents per gallon for diesel. He also called on states to suspend their state gas taxes as well or to find other ways to deliver some relief.

Congress 259
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OECD: governments should make better use of energy taxation to address climate change; “meaningful” increases limited to road sector

Green Car Congress

Taxes are effective at cutting harmful emissions from energy use, but governments could make better use of them. Tax rates were below the low-end estimate of climate costs (EUR 30/tCO 2 ) for 97% of emissions. Comparing taxes between 2012 and 2015 yields a disconcerting result. Governments should do more and better.

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MIT study finds fuel economy standards are 6-14 times less cost effective than fuel tax for reducing gasoline use

Green Car Congress

In a study published in the journal Energy Economics , MIT researchers have found that a fuel economy standard is at least six to fourteen times less cost effective than a fuel tax when targeting an identical reduction in cumulative gasoline use (20% by 2050). Paltsev, M. Babiker, J.M. 2012.09.001.

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T&E: Rising use of private jets sends CO2 emissions soaring

Green Car Congress

And yet, super-rich super polluters are flying around like there’s no climate crisis. Despite the disproportionate climate impact, private jets are untaxed in most European nations because of exemptions from the EU’s carbon pricing scheme (EU ETS) and untaxed kerosene. One operator reported an 11.3%

Emissions 418
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Study finds higher gasoline taxes do not disproportionately impact the poor, especially in developing countries

Green Car Congress

However, a new study by researchers at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) finds that middle- and high-income earners are generally affected the most by gasoline taxes, especially in poor countries, rather than poor people. Petrol taxes are effective and actually don’t affect poor people disproportionally. —Thomas Sterner.

Tax 239
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Australia PM Gillard announces carbon pricing plan; transport fuels exempt, but lowered fuel tax credits to bring carbon price to some businesses

Green Car Congress

We have had a long debate about climate change in this country. Most Australians now agree our climate is changing, this is caused by carbon pollution, this has harmful effects on our environment and on the economy—and the Government should act. Transport fuels will be excluded from the carbon pricing mechanism.