Inequality and the Climate Crisis
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- Written by Dr Robert Howell
Reflections on Gough’s Heat, Greed and Human Need
Stern dismissed any significant relationship between environmental and social policy, by saying that there is little point in equitable access to a train wreck. Gough in his book, Heat, Greed and Human Need disagrees. He states that equity, redistribution and prioritising human needs, far from being diversions from the basic task of decarbonising the economy, are critical climate policies. The move to a green economy can only be successful if both environmental and social policies (eco-social policies, defined as policies that pursue both equity/justice and sustainability/sufficiency goals) are integrated. When it operates within a global economy of gross inequality (between and within countries) it will fail to raise standards of wellbeing to a sufficient level, or it will fail to reduce emission at a sufficient rate, or it will fail at both.
Fair Tax Campaign
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Why a #TaxJustice campaign – and why now?
New Zealand’s tax system is unfair and we need to fix it. A fair tax system is a powerful tool in building a society where every New Zealander gets a fair go.
The Tax Working Group has given us options to help fix our tax system. On matters like the Capital Gains Tax, the Tax Working Group has presented yet another solid case for treating all income the same whether it is capital income or earned income.
But, so far, there has been insufficient public focus on how tax reforms could create greater tax fairness. And the role of options such as the Capital Gains Tax in promoting fairness and reduced inequalities has not been prominent in in the public domain.
Tax Justice Aotearoa New Zealand sees a rare opportunity to emphasise that, if we want to reduce inequality and poverty, we need to make real changes to our tax system. The time to mobilise more voices that support a fair tax system, including a Capital Gains Tax, is now!
Who is Tax Justice Aotearoa NZ and how can you help?
Tax Justice Aotearoa New Zealand is an independent non-governmental organisation, linked to the global Tax Justice Network. We want transparent, democratic and fair tax systems for people and planet to flourish. To do this, we have initiated a #TaxJustice campaign. We have sufficient initial funding to go public with a couple of
billboards in Wellington and ads in several major newspapers.
The messages for this will be simple and direct, along the lines of ‘We need a fairer tax system involving CGT and we need it now!’
We can’t do this alone. The Fabian Society is supporting this campaign. Can you chip in some putea/ funding to help make this happen?
An Incoherent Financial and Banking System
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How serious is the threat that current banking and financial systems pose to a stable, safe and secure future? Are there aspects that can be easily fixed, or is drastic reform needed? Is the state of the financial and banking sector such that it is a major global driver, and something that needs careful factoring into strategic considerations? This article by Dr Robert Howell covers his recent Wellington presentation and describes the likely risk of another 2008 financial crash, considers the effectiveness and efficiency of the current system, and evaluates whether the current system enables a solution to the threat of ecological collapse. Read more
Bill Rosenberg on Tax Fairness
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Bill Rosenberg was a member of the Tax Working Group. His presentation at the Fabian Society in Wellington is summarised here. The summary is taken from his article in the NZCTU monthly economic Bulletin. The full article will be published in the Papers and Presentations section of the website.
The Tax Working Group (TWG) has reported back. The reactions to the proposal for taxing the income from capital gains have ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous and from “it doesn’t go nearly far enough” to “this is the end of the kiwi way of life”. They have exposed a class society where one group of people seemingly believe that almost everyone owns at least one investment property and a bach (no wonder they didn’t believe there is a housing crisis) while the experience of most is that buying even one house is increasingly unaffordable.
The Future of Energy - Summary
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The message from the two presentations was clear: first, urgent action on climate warming is required now. Avoidance of disastrous impacts is unlikely. Mitigation has past by as an option and only adaptation remains. Second Cheap energy will not be available in the future. This will lead to recessions and transition to an economy that requires much less energy.
The New Zealand economy and our ways of living will require transformation as we respond to both these eventualities. New Zealand is going to be hit by a double shot of reality and we will need to show some real leadership to develop the correct public policy and the political leadership to support it.