After climate protection yes: now there are new taxes on the table

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Confetti! On Sunday, the climate protectors cheered. The law on climate protection was clearly accepted. With a lot of money, the switch to climate-neutral heating must be accelerated. The promise was: there are no prohibitions or new taxes in the new law. The SVP had warned loudly about this in the voting campaign.

But just two days after the vote was won, new taxes are back on the agenda. The Energy Committee of the National Council on Tuesday approved a proposal from Central President Gerhard Pfister (60): all emitted greenhouse gases, such as CO₂ or methane, must be subject to a tax. The revenue from this would be paid back in full to the population and the economy – a so-called stimulus tax.

There is already a CO in Switzerland₂– Tax on heating oil or heating oil. Other areas would also be new, such as fuels or flights.

“Disrespect”

The proposal upset SVP National Councilor Michael Graber (42). “The fact that the Energy Commission is again agreeing to stimulant taxes is disrespectful to the people.” Graber led the SVP campaign against the climate protection law. “The proponents of the climate protection law have promised that there will be no new taxes and bans. It’s risky to agree to stimulus taxes again just two days after the vote.”

Although Pfister’s proposal would mean that the revenue from the levy would flow back to the population in full, Graber fears higher costs. “This is a redistribution by the state. Farmers in particular will get under the wheels. They cannot reduce their greenhouse gas emissions quickly.”

Advance pending

Pfister defends himself. “I submitted this proposal a year ago.” He sees no contradiction with the statements made before the vote on the climate protection law. “The opponents only warned against prohibitions. A single tax would replace all prohibitions and subsidies and all previous levies.”

Pfister sees its proposal as food for thought for the future, not as a finished concept. “It is important that we can also openly discuss other forward-looking solutions.”

Even SP abstained from voting

There are also question marks from other parties. The SP abstained from voting, confirms party leader Roger Nordmann (50). “It’s questionable from a Democratic political point of view if you talk about stimulus taxes again after this weekend.” He doesn’t believe stimulus taxes will pass in front of the people. “The yes on Sunday was a great success. It has shown that investment and additional funding is the way to go and not stimulus taxes, except perhaps in the aviation sector. »

The Commission seems well aware of the hot potato it is dealing with. She emphasizes that there is no connection with the vote. It’s not about “abruptly overthrowing the time-tested mix of instruments”. Instead, they want to have an “in-depth conversation.”

That a new stimulus tax on CO₂ comes is more than doubtful. The case now goes to the sister committee of the Council of States. Even there, a shower of confetti for Pfister’s proposal should be missing. At the latest when it comes to the concrete elaboration, resistance should increase considerably. (brother)

Source:Blick