Extending such a toll system to all roads and all motor vehicles would not pose any problems, technically and financially.
Target
In addition, the official fuel consumption of each motor vehicle is known, so the kilometers traveled should be multiplied by this figure and a constant representing the CO2 emissions per liter of gasoline and diesel combustion.
Revenue from increased tolls can and should be used to Compensation household. Such reforms are beneficial from environmental, economic and social perspectives.
The way to implement such reforms can be financially Benefits 80% of households For example, in Hungary, according to Clean Air Action calculations.
It can be rightly said that the fuel consumption of each car differs from the official figures, since it depends on many factors: personal driving style, roads used, terrain, weather, technical condition of the vehicle, ETC.
However, all of this is irrelevant in terms of total CO2 reductions in a given country. That is, if the reduction target is not met in any one year, then the government can adjust taxes accordingly.
volatility
While e-tolling is not entirely equitable in terms of CO2 emissions, it avoids the larger inequities that may arise when ETS2 is applied. Furthermore, some inequities can be mitigated with appropriate fine-tuning of tolls.
Tolls may vary depending on the road used: for example, tolls are higher in cities than in rural areas, which is also more fair from an environmental and social perspective.
In addition to CO2 emissions, a distinction can also be made on the basis of other vehicle parameters (European emission standards, axle load).
Another advantage is that, in the case of ETS2, changes in toll levels are more predictable than allowance prices.
Experience shows that price volatility The inadequacy of the current EU ETS makes proper planning difficult for many companies.
not welcomed
Extending the ETS to energy use in buildings could have even more dire consequences.That is, it will stimulate the burning of biomass, mainly wood, which is harmful on the climate and our health.
Illegal felling of trees has become a It has happenedwill definitely soar.
Even worse, the following cases Illegal residential heating will also multiply.Incineration of plastics, bundles of clothing, treated wood and other waste in households has extremely extensive in Eastern Europe and some Southern European countries.
this is now one of main cause of disease and deaths from air pollution.It is also a major contributor to climate change, as household waste incineration 40% increase in emissions black carbon, a Important Climate Pollutantsthan wood burned per unit mass.
Therefore, it is high time that appropriate steps are taken to substantially mitigate the adverse effects of incorporating buildings into ETS2.
Implementation
Large-scale awareness-raising campaigns should be conducted to educate the public about the harmful effects of burning wood and waste.
There are also mostly Relatively cheap and quickly implementable method Reducing household energy use: Central and Eastern European countries should allocate at least 0.1% of GDP annually for awareness raising.
Monetary support must be provided to vulnerable households such as Social Climate Fund established by the European Union. Investments in improving the energy efficiency of buildings must be substantially increased. The regulation of illegal burning and illegal logging must be greatly strengthened.
If all the measures suggested above are implemented, ETS2 will certainly achieve the goals for which it was designed.
the author
Andras Lukacs Is the President of the Hungarian Environmental NGO clean air action group.
