It was announced this week that Porsche will challenge the new congestion charged to be levied by Ken Livingstone on larger, higher emitting CO2 cars in Central London. The decision - by Ken - has drawn applause from the obvious groups including Friends of the Earth, but is Porsche right? The difficulty for any Londoner with the congestion charge is that it is seen as more of a tax now moving towards a wealth tax, than a mechanism that wil reduce emissions. The solution for Central London is not congestion charging, it is allowing no private cars at all Legislators everywhere are falling into a tax trap when it comes to looking after the environment. That might be because very often the highest emitters of greenhouse gases are the wealthy and legislators that have raced to levy taxes or charges have tended to be from the left or left of centre. The view from there is very much that the wealthy can pay. But any Londoner will tell you that we all pay. Trying to get the public greener by taxing them is counter productive and does serve the green cause well. It can and shouldn't be associated with the politics of envy. The solution for Central London is not congestion charging, it is allowing no private cars at all, restricting commercial access but making it much easier, improving the public transport system and making it cheaper and more accessible, introducing new types of public transport and making the City generally more accessible. Ideas like electric taxis, the shared bike system being introduced and larger cycle ways are the best way forward. As a society we are better off having a car free zone and meaning it, rather than looking to single out particular groups for green taxes. If high CO2 emitting cars are to be taxed then there should be taxed at registration, afterall, they don't just drive in Central London. Good luck Porsche.