At the Summit in New York on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), organised under the aegis of the United Nations General Assembly, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, strongly defended the introduction of a global carbon price on Monday 18 September. She sees this measure as a key element in the recovery plan advocated by UN Secretary General António Guterres to support developing countries’ transition to a green economy.
“Carbon pricing is proving to be one of the most effective and efficient climate strategies”, said Ms von der Leyen, highlighting the essential role of this measure in stimulating innovation and holding polluting companies to account. She also mentioned the dual benefit of reducing emissions while generating funds to support environmental initiatives in developing countries.
By way of illustration, she mentioned the success of this initiative in Europe. “Last year alone, our carbon pricing system generated €38 billion, all of which was reinvested in climate action”, she argued.
However, the President of the Commission highlighted a major challenge: only 20% of global emissions are currently taxed. Increasing this percentage could transform the fight against climate change while offering a significant source of revenue, she believes. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)