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With European cooperation and an 鈥渁ppropriate design鈥� of climate policy, the seemingly diverging calls for change by French yellow vests and German Fridays For Future student protesters can be reconciled, write economic advisors of both countries鈥� governments .
In a separate joint statement published in and , the and the call on the European Commission and the Member States to expand the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to other sectors, 鈥渂ecause a homogeneous treatment of CO鈧� emissions would be an important element for the completion of the EU Single Market.鈥� Should an agreement comprising all member states not be forged in the short term, France and Germany should form a coalition and integrate non-ETS sectors such as transport and buildings. "Such an extension of the EU-ETS might not be possible immediately, however, because it requires legal changes and political agreement," they note. As a transition measure, the countries should introduce either a separate trading system for non-ETS sectors, or a carbon tax, they write. A "significant part" of the revenues should be given back to households and companies. In addition, both countries should push for international CO鈧� pricing systems. 鈥淭here is a wide range of approaches centred on carbon pricing that allow France and Germany to together pave the way for a more efficient international climate policy,鈥� write the advisors.

The advisory groups have both presented expert opinions saying that a uniform price on CO鈧� emissions is essential to reduce them in a cost efficient way, and securing acceptance by the population is key for the success of introducing such a system. Having long shied away from the debate, German political leaders are finally considering a price on CO鈧� to help reach the country's climate targets. Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 climate cabinet is set to debate CO2 pricing this week and has announced key decisions by mid-September.听