Sir, – Eoin Ó Murchú (Letters, April 19th) questions my assertion that "there is near universal agreement among analysts that carbon taxes are essential if we are to successfully combat climate change". According to Our World in Data, in relation to pricing carbon emissions, "For once even economists agree" (The argument for a carbon price, June 2021). This comprehensive meta-analysis found that, "A key reason why voters are not in favour of carbon pricing is that many believe it won't actually reduce emissions, but empirical research and theory show that this is wrong: pricing carbon emissions – either via a carbon tax or a 'cap and trade' system – is effective. It shifts production and consumption from carbon-intensive goods and services to low-carbon alternatives and does reduce emissions."
Mr Ó Murchú ignores the fact that we are already paying an extremely high non-monetary price for burning deadly fossil fuels, and it tends to be the poorest people on our planet, who have contributed the least to climate change, who pay the price. Future generations will pay an even higher price.
The air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels kills an estimated 3.6 million people every year – six times the annual death toll of all murders, war deaths, and terrorist attacks combined.
Incredibly, we heavily subside this behaviour. The IMF’s study How Large Are Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies? estimates that they amount to $5.2 trillion (6.5 per cent of global GDP).
A carbon price means that those who cause the emissions also pay for them.
In response Mr Ó Murchú's call to "transition in a way which shares the burden of transition equally", I did acknowledge in my letter of April 15th that, "There are legitimate concerns regarding the effects of carbon taxes on those on low incomes, but these can and must be addressed by, for example, transfers funded by the carbon taxes themselves, subsidies, tax cuts or tax credits."
It is essential that there is a just transition to renewables. But the evidence strongly suggests that pricing carbon (including carbon taxes) is an indispensable tool in the fight against climate change. As Max Roser of Our World in Data said, “People change their mind about carbon prices when they learn that they do actually work.” – Yours, etc,
ROB SADLIER,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.