Call for higher taxes to pay for damage to planet

A climate change expert called for higher taxes to combat environmental damage yesterday at a summit of business and political leaders in Davos. The stark warning by Sir Nicholas Stern, the author of last year's groundbreaking report on climate change and former adviser to Tony Blair, came as the issue dominated the agenda of the first day of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting. Sir Nicholas said taxes such as the UK government's levy on petrol should be used alongside other schemes to deal with the "very urgent" problem of carbon emissions.