World Bank official seeks carbon tax on maritime transportation

THE Director, Environment Department, World Bank, Ms MaryBarton-Dock, has called for a carbon tax on maritime transportation to tackleclimate change threat.Shemade the call on Wednesday, in Durban, at an event on'Finance, Capacity Building and Public Education for Adaptation,' at the ongoing United NationsConvention on Climate Change negotiation.Barton-Docksaid the tax, if adopted, could be ploughed back into measures to protect the ocean, development and other vital risk reduction projects.She stressed the need to tap private sector resources for oceans conservation, noting that the private sector also benefited from the oceans' productivity.According to her, the World Bank would be carrying out work on wealth analysisto upgrade the value of oceans and coastal ecosystem services.The Chief Director, Integrated Costal Management, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, South Africa, Razeena Omar, said that climate change had posed a huge concern and challenge to Africa.Omar explained that the continent had adopted a programme of action for African coastal countries on the need to make adaptation central to a future climate regime.The Executive Director, Munich Climate Insurance Initiative, Koko Warner, said that financial risk management could play a role in reducing climate change threat.Heemphasised the need for governments to educate themselves on the risk they faced in tackling climate change, and urged them to use the experience to engage in risk reduction strategy.'Insurance is the only one of a combination of tools that can be used in the context of adapting to climate change.'Also, Mrs. Janot de Suarez ofGlobal Ocean Forum Working Group on Oceans and Climate, saidmore funds and priority should be dedicated to island and coastal communities, sincethe impact of climate change affects them the most.
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