The Spanish government has proposed putting a hefty tax on diesel to help tackle rising emission levels.

Spain’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Reyes Maroto, put forward the proposal to be included in the 2019 General State Budget.

Maroto calls the proposed increase I diesel a “good tax” in the effort to combat climate change saying:  “We have the important challenge of fighting against climate change, which is, for us, very important and a country project”.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Energy, Alvaro Nadal claims that the proposed 28.6% tax increase is justified given the rise in greenhouse gases.

More details of the proposed increase will be available once a draft budget is released on September 30th.

If the new law is passed the massive price increase in diesel will be felt at the pumps as early as January 2019.