(2023-11-2-) an Private Jets To Address Climate Crisis Says Thomas Piketty

Ban private jets to address climate crisis, says Thomas Piketty. Questions of social and economic class must be at the centre of our response to the climate change crisis, to address the huge inequalities between the carbon footprints of the rich and poor and prevent a backlash against climate policies, the economist Thomas Piketty has said.

Regulations will be needed to outlaw goods and services that have unnecessarily high greenhouse gas emissions, such as private jets, outsized vehicles, and flights over short distances

Rich countries must also put in place progressive carbon taxes that take into account people’s incomes and how well they are able to reduce their emissions, as current policies usually fail to adjust for people’s real needs.

“If you don’t, you will just not be able to get a majority [of people in favour of strong action] and will not be able to make it.”

Poorly targeted policies on energy around the world place a greater burden on poor people, for whom energy, food and housing take up far larger shares of household budgets than for the well-off. This is provoking a backlash, according to Piketty. (inequality across countries)

If climate policies are seen as unfair, affecting people on low incomes while those with luxurious lifestyles carry on untouched, protest movements will emerge, like the “gilets jaunes” who brought France to a standstill five years ago, he said. (inequality within countries)

As well as regulation to curb the most unnecessary emissions, Piketty suggests a “progressive carbon tax”, by which everyone would have a free emissions allowance covering ordinary needs, but activities beyond that – such as frequent holiday flights, large houses or large vehicles – would be taxed by larger increments, so that the most polluting activities were subject to “an enormous tax rate”. (Huge bureaucracy?)

"Lots of people, and the more socioeconomic disadvantaged groups, feel that it's all against them, and they will be paying for everybody, especially people in rural areas. (Maybe rural living isn't sustainable?)