Poll finds majority for greenhouse tax on plane tickets
Eleven countries in Europe have introduced a CO2 tax on plane tickets. Opponents of such a levy won a first victory in the Swiss parliament earlier this month.
Keystone
An overwhelming majority of people in Switzerland appear to be in favour of introducing a tax on plane tickets to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch
العربية
ar
استطلاع يكشف عن تأييد واسع لفرض ضريبة بيئية على تذاكر الطيران
An online poll, published by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, showed that 70% of respondents said they were prepared to pay between CHF12 to CHF50 ($12.2-$50.8) towards a CO2 tax depending on the duration of a flight.
The survey was carried out among more than 6,000 online users ten days ago and comes in the wake of a parliamentary debate which saw the House of Representatives rejecting a proposal to introduce a CO2 tax on plane tickets.
Opponents argued a tax would impose a double financial burden on aviation. Supporters however said flying had become extremely cheap.
The number of plane passengers increased by 60% between 2000 and 2017 according to latest official statistics.
Eleven European countries already levy a tax on plane tickets.
The online survey also showed that 54% of respondents agreed an additional CO2 tax of CHF0.5 per litre on petrol.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Swiss cinemas report drop in admissions in first half of 2024
This content was published on
The decline in cinema-goers has continued so far this year. Swiss films and smaller cinemas are holding up better than big US productions and multiplex.
Spread of Japanese beetle leads to lawn-watering bans in Basel
This content was published on
Basel City authorities have extended an infestation zone with strict guidelines to a good third of the canton’s territory.
Bad weather forces closure of many Swiss hiking trails
This content was published on
Some 620 trails are still closed due to the extreme weather this summer, with the canton of Valais particularly hard hit.
This content was published on
The two cities have beaten off Zurich and Bern to make it onto the shortlist to host the Europe-wide singing extravaganza next May.
This content was published on
Construction expenditure rose by 0.3% last year in nominal terms, but the price-adjusted situation reveals a 2.5% drop, statistics show.
Another body found in southern Switzerland after June storms
This content was published on
The body found in the Maggia river in Ticino on Thursday is “likely” to be the sixth victim of storms last month, police said.
Swiss helicopter rescue pioneers safe autopilot approach system
This content was published on
Swiss air rescue company Rega has received approval for a new kind of instrument flight system for approaching a hospital.
Refusal to act on climate change slammed as shortsighted
This content was published on
Environment Minister Doris Leuthard calls on the Swiss parliament to put party politics behind to find solution on global warming.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.