Professor sees export market in environmental technology
Ilmo Massa wants higher tax on kerosene and conspicuous consumption
|
|
|
Environmental technology investments are seen as an important contribution to the fight against climate change, says Professor Ilmo Massa, who holds a chair in environmental policy at the University of Helsinki.
"Scientific innovations combined with political visions could make Finland an exporter of both technology and environmental know-how", Massa says.
A second concrete act that he expects from the next government is a structural change in ecological taxation, and a more severe tax on "conspicuous consumption".
"For some strange reason, SUVs - cars that look like tanks - are being driven out there at the same time that the price of energy has hit new records." Professor Massa feels that linking the taxation of cars to the amount of emissions they produce is absolutely necessary.
"An important move would be to put a tax on the kerosene used as aviation fuel. Knowing the problems faced by Finnair, politicians might not want to make a proposal on it. However, aviation fuel is taxed in Denmark", he notes.
All parties are pushing themes involving energy and climate change in connection with the upcoming Parliamentary elections. Massa feels that it is most important to get the future government to submit a concrete long-term strategy aimed at keeping global warming within two degrees, which is the "acceptable risk" agreed upon internationally.
This means a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020, and an 80 percent reduction by 2050.
Massa feels that the most important move for politicians would be to switch from "symbolic politics" to real action. So far, he says that the fight against climate change has been limited to speeches.
"Ecological tax reform is part of the programme of this government", he points out. There has just been no sign of any action on the matter.
Environmentally friendly technology is expected to be the next "key technology" with world-changing implications. The change, which Massa sees as absolutely necessary, would involve a new direction in the industrialisation that began in the 18th century.
What are needed are fuel-free, emissions-free energy sources. One possibility would be hydrogen technology. "No stone should be left unturned", he says. If serious efforts are not made in the development of pollution-free energy sources, then there can be no results either.
Finding new energy sources that spare the climate is seen by Massa as a very serious matter, and not only for environmental reasons. "There can be conflicts over energy resources. According to some estimates, more than half of them may already have been used up."
All parties see employment as a focal point of politics, and investment in new technology is seen by Massa to be quite compatible with this goal. For instance, he notes that there is a significant wind energy industry in Finland. Even though wind power is not used very much here, Finnish-made wind generators are exported.
A study by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) recently indicated that the production of biofuels produces more emissions than its use saves.
Nevertheless, Professor Massa does not reject bio-energy out of hand. Instead, he sees a need to study the matter more.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 7.11.2006 - TODAY |
 Professor sees export market in environmental technology
|
|
