Dear World Leaders,
We’re running out of time: climate change is the single greatest challenge facing humanity. While budgets for international aid and climate action are being cut in key donor countries, we call on you to support solidarity levies. These innovative solutions can catalyse climate and development finance in line with the Baku to Belèm Roadmap’s goal of mobilizing $1.3 trillion until 2035 — at FFD4, COP30, and within the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.
New data shows we're already crossing the 1.5°C threshold of global warming — the time for half-measures is over. Climate and development crises are worsening at an alarming rate, marked by deadly hurricanes, searing heatwaves, and at least 343 million people suffering from acute hunger in 2025. Yet, while ordinary people bear the brunt of these disasters, the biggest polluters continue to rake in billions while paying next to nothing for the damage they cause.
Solidarity levies, designed to generate urgently needed funds, can help us finance climate transitions and development aid. Rooted in the principle of equity, these policies ensure that those with the greatest financial means and the highest carbon emissions contribute more to the shared responsibility. We urge world leaders to endorse the following options, as they offer unmatched potential and proven viability to raise new funds, all while contributing to social and economic justice.
- Aviation accounts for 12% of global transport emissions, with jet fuel remaining largely untaxed. A levy of €0.33 per liter of jet fule could raise $18 billion annually, or a tax on aviation tickets could generate $121 billion globally.
- Fossil fuel companies are responsible for over 75% of global emissions while raking in astronomical profits. In 2023 alone, the global oil and gas industry earned record income of more than $2.7 trillion, while they invested just 4% of capital expenditure on clean energy. A small $5 per tonne CO2e levy on fossil fuel extraction could generate $216 billion annually, with a permanent levy on profits potentially raising hundreds of billions more.
- Financial transactions generate massive profits but fail to invest in climate or development. A 0.5% levy on equities and intraday transactions could raise up to $485 billion globally.
- Billionaires pay less than 2% in taxes on average, even as their investments pump out more than 3 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year. A small 2% wealth levy on the top 3,000 wealthiest individuals could generate up to $250 billion annually and curb emissions.
Now is the time to act and to implement the solutions at hand. We must make a bold move towards climate and development finance and greater tax justice. We urge you to fully endorse the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force’s work, to work on levies to be adopted in coalition-of-the-willing formats at the Fourth Financing for Development Summit this June in Sevilla and at COP30 next November in Belèm, all while fully supporting the the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.
Our future depends on your leadership — for our planet, and for generations to come.
Sincerely,
47 NGOs representing 231 organizations around the globe
1. 350.org
2. A Sud
3. Accountability Lab
4. Action Aid International
5. Action Santé Mondiale / Global Health Advocates
6. Agronomes et vétérinaires sans frontières (AVSF) - France
7. Amref Health Africa (France)
8. APIT Portugal
9. Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens
10. CAFOD
11. Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)
12. Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy
13. Christian Aid
14. Coordination SUD
15. Don't Gas Africa
16. ECCO - The Italian Climate Change Think Tank
17. EcoEquity
18. Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth (EIFAY Africa)
19. Equipop
20. FIACAT
21. Friends of the Global Fund Europe
22. Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica
23. Geledés - Instituto da Mulher Negra (geledés - black women institute)
24. Germanwatch e.V.
25. Glasgow Actions Team
26. Global Cooperation Institute
27. Global Policy Forum Europe
28. Global Witness
29. Green Economy Coalition
30. Greenpeace Africa
31. Greenpeace International
32. Innovea Development Foundation
33. Instituto Libio
34. JANIC
35. Loss & Damage Youth Coalition
36. Maison d'Assistance Locale aux Miséreux en sigle MALM
37. MENAFem Movement for Economic, Development and Ecological Justice
38. Norwegian Church Aid
39. Pandemic Action Network
40. Patriotic Millionaires UK
41. Project Everyone
42. SDG2 Advocacy Hub
43. Sharing Strategies
44. Tax Justice UK
45. The ONE Campaign
46. Think Equal
47. WWF-International
Two Distinguished Personalities:
1. Sabrina Elba, Model, Activist and UN Goodwill Ambassador
2. H.E. Stefan Löfven, Former Prime Minister of Sweden