Will the carbon tax last long enough to have an impact?

The carbon tax has the potential to spur lasting cuts in emissions but opposition is fierce. Will it last long enough to make a difference?

Yellow vest protestors in France. Among the issues which caused them to start demonstrating was the carbon tax. Picture: AP Photo/Bob Edme

The transition to a low-carbon economy will not happen overnight. To make it work, we need policies that will remain in place long enough to change how we produce our energy, produce our goods, travel, and grow our food.

The reforms to the carbon tax introduced earlier this year — raising the tax rate gradually each year to reach €100 per tonne of carbon dioxide by 2030 and dedicating new revenues to reducing emissions and increasing social welfare payments — have the ability to spur deep, lasting cuts in emissions in a way that is fair to all.