22.4.04

Letter sent by the following environmental organizations to ESF (European Social Forum) organising committee.

Concerns: Conference and seminar at the next ESF.

1. Who are we?

 We are four organizations concerned with climate change and environmental tax reform in Europe:

• www.noe21.org, email: Chaim Nissim cnissim@iprolink.ch, a small association aimed at promoting environmental tax reform;

• www.foes-ev.de, or www.eco-tax.info email: Christian Meyer foes@foes-ev.de, a single issue movement to support the development of an Ecological Tax Reform (ETR) in Germany and Europe;

• www.rac-f.org, email: Fabrice Flipo fabrice@rac-f.org, a network of climate change organizations in France;

• www.eeb.org, email Sylvain Chevassus sylvain.chevassus@eeb.org, a European federation of environmental citizens’ organizations

2. What is our intention and why are we contacting you?

We would like to discuss the issue of environmental tax reform within the ESF in London . We think that such a reform may indeed be part of the solution to the growth crisis of the capitalist system.

We think this issue should be dealt with by a conference and/or a seminar during the next ESF in London.

Our reasoning is twofold.

We are convinced that we cannot afford to campaign on our own and let time and climate change play against us all.

We need support for this idea from sources other than the usual green parties and movements. That is why we have initiated contacts with businesses, trade unions and NGOs. The basic question here is: How can we together find a formula for an environmental tax reform that would suit the needs of the world’s poor (i.e. be sufficiently social in nature) and at the same time suit those of the economy? In other words: Can we propose a basis for a “new social deal” in the world, similar to the New Deal that Roosevelt suggested in the 1930s?

Remember that a reform increases some taxes but at the same time reduces others or uses the revenue obtained from the pollution taxes.

If we can agree on a formula, then the alterglobalization movement may support this idea, as a complement to the Tobin tax.

The conference /seminar would be attended and supported by several green organizations in Europe, and would seek to provide an answer to the old question: “You want to halt climate change and combat capitalism but what do you suggest as a valid strategy?” We are convinced that the Kyoto Protocol is simply not up to the task.

Does this idea appeal to you? Are you ready to participate?

Please let us know of your interest or your suggestions as soon as possible.

With our best regards and thanks for your attention.

Chaim Nissim

Deborah Lassalle

Philippe de Rougemont

Fabrice Flipo

Sylvain Chevassus

Christian Meyer