Fly for the right price
airlines have enormous fiscal benefits, because they don't have to pay excise on kerosene, let alone a levy on carbon dioxide ( co 2 ) or nitrogen oxide ( no x ) pollution by aircraft. Therefore, the real costs of flying must be paid, says Nannie van Vliet, a campaigner with Strohalm, an environmental organisation in Groningen, the Netherlands.
To put an end to the unfairness in the transport sector, Strohalm introduced the "flight-tax in companies' campaign on February 17 in the west European country. For every ticket bought, the buyer has to pay an extra 17.5 per cent (the amount of tax on consumer products in the Netherlands) of the ticket-price to a fund. So far, nine Dutch companies have signed the contract to raise flight tax voluntarily. Since the tax does not have to be paid to the state, the companies deposit the money with their own fund, from which they can invest in environment-friendly energy resources for the company.
The aim of the campaign is to make the government aware that a large number of people are willing to pay these taxes, says van Vliet. In 1995, Strohalm started a flight-tax campaign for individuals. From the tax fund, solar collectors have recently been bought for an orphanage.
Strohalm was started in early 1980. One of the aims of Strohalm is to reform the tax-structure. It suggests more taxes on the use of natural resources and energy, and less on labour.
Making a pact "Countries commit themselves to reducing air pollution at international climate conferences. They cut down on the use of cars and electricity, but do not question the ever-growing air traffic. Air travel causes between 8 to 15 per cent of total co 2 pollution,' says van Vliet. "In this campaign, we want the Dutch government and the European Council to know that companies want their government to treat airlines the same way railroad or other freight-companies are treated
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