A majority of people around the world support a carbon tax — even if they’re paying it

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🗞️ Driving the news: A global survey has revealed significant public support for a carbon tax that redistributes wealth from high-polluting countries to developing nations
• Despite concerns over taxes, many people in affluent countries, including the U.S., expressed backing for a tax that would mitigate climate change and poverty, even if it meant a financial sacrifice on their part

🔭 The context: The survey, conducted across 20 countries with 40,680 participants, asked people about their views on a global carbon tax
• The policy would impose higher costs on those contributing more to climate change while providing a financial benefit to individuals globally, particularly in less affluent regions
• Previous research has similarly shown that climate policies, when linked with economic benefits like poverty reduction, often garner greater support than expected

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This support for carbon taxes suggests that policies addressing both climate change and inequality could gain political traction, especially in high-income nations
• While the public favors such policies in principle, there are concerns about the practical challenges of maintaining this support, as seen in Canada's failed carbon tax-and-dividend scheme, which lost public favor amid rising fuel prices

⏭️ What's next: The next step involves determining whether governments will act on this widespread support
• Despite its popularity in principle, past experiences indicate that such policies could face resistance from powerful interest groups and public disillusionment, particularly if the perceived benefits don’t align with the costs
• The success of climate policies will likely depend on their ability to maintain public trust and effectively balance climate action with economic fairness

💬 One quote: “People are willing to let go of some purchasing power if they can be sure that it solves climate change and global poverty,” — Adrian Fabre, lead author of the study

📈 One stat: In Japan, 94% of respondents supported policies linking climate change and inequality, the highest level of support among the 20 nations surveyed