Carbon tax hikes every year will be considered after an energy report warned that a third of all electricity demand here in future is set to come from data centres and large energy users. Energy Minister Richard Bruton said he is “open” to considering annual hikes in carbon taxes and confirmed upward changes to the levy will be considered for the 2020 budget. Mr Bruton was speaking as a review of the country’s energy needs by the International Energy Agency (IEA) called for annual increases in carbon taxes. The IEA also proposed that carbon taxes differ for sectors. Brid Smith said there should be a carbon tax on the profits of fossil fuel companies, food production companies and industries that release large CO2 emissions and that her party opposed a carbon tax on ordinary people who have “no alternative to the use of carbon”.

Source: Irish Examiner April 16, 2019 04:30 UTC