The news that John Gormley is going to start increasing motor tax on vehicles that have high emissions has created quite a stir. Tom McGurk is most righteous in his criticism in his Sunday Business Post column (is he ever anything else?).
Personally, I’m delighted to see John is acting early on this commitment contained within the Programme for Government. Rebalancing motor tax onto higher emission vehicles is a first step in fighting climate change. At present our motor tax system is based on engine size. However from next year motor tax will also include an emissions-based system to further emphasise the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change.
Now, while I realise that no one likes to hear about taxes being increased, creating an emission based motor tax system is vital if Ireland is to meet the obligations we have signed up to under the Kyoto Protocol. Those motorists who make the effort to move to low emission or small engine vehicles should be rewarded, while those that do not have to pay extra to reflect the environmental cost of their choices.
The argument being put forward by Tom McGurk that we shouldn’t act here in Ireland because China continues to pollute is completely bogus for two reasons. Firstly, how can we ask developing countries to reduce their emissions if we aren’t prepared to do the same thing? Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, Ireland has signed up to achieving reductions in our emissions levels under the Kyoto Protocol. If we fail to meet these, we will be fined. An emissions based motor tax system is one method of achieving this.
If we take Tom McGurk’s advice, not only do we lose any authority in calling for other countries to fight climate change, we will actually be exposing ourselves to even greater risk of major fines.
