Subsidies encouraging fossil-fuel consumption
Getting rid of subsidies is tricky due to unrest and political concerns
At the UN-backed global climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009, governments agreed to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies, including those on transport fuels, by 2020. Each year since then, the hand-outs have only grown. The trend shows little sign of reversing, as governments try to limit the impact of high oil prices on their citizens' pockets. Transport fuel subsidies cost governments money and put a brake on clean energy initiatives by encouraging greater fossil fuel use, so there are strong arguments in favour of eliminating or reducing them, allowing the market to decide on the right pricing level for fuels. Few politicians say subsidies are a good thing. But when push comes to shove, many
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