PARIS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled the details of collecting carbon tax in 2010 to combat global warming on Thursday.

    The government hopes the move, which is still controversial on its implementation level, will help the country enter a sustainable "post-oil era" as soon as possible.

    In a speech delivered in the eastern French province Ain, Sarkozy emphasized the importance of creating an "ecological tax system" to meet the challenges of an impending climate change and reduce the nation's dependence on oil. He cited the necessity of transforming France's growth model.

    The 17-euro tax would be collected according to the proportion of emission. The tax was meant to encourage households and businesses to gradually reduce their consumption of fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide, such as crude oil, natural gas and coal. It was also an impetus to develop green energy technology, Sarkozy explained.

    Sarkozy touched on the success of the bonus for a new car system, a subsidy to buyers of low-emission cars since early 2008.This measure has significantly boosted sales of cars with low emissions.

    The success of this measure showed that a financial incentive "could profoundly guide consumer choices of our citizens," Sarkozy said.

    The president voiced his confidence that the French people were willing to "engage in changing their energy consumption, provided that the signals they receive are clear and that the contract offered to them is fair."

    Sarkozy said the new tax policy would be implemented step by step so that people could be granted sufficient time for an adjustment.

    He added that the creation of the carbon tax would be accompanied by a decline or even disappearance in other taxes. He explained that the objective of the tax was not "replenishing the national treasury" but to "encourage the French households and businesses to change their behaviors."

    The president suggested the establishment of an independent committee consisting of members from non-governmental and environmental protection groups, experts and parliamentarians to ensure the policy's transparency.

    But it seems that the majority of the French people dislike the new tax. According to a survey conducted on the eve of the publication of the tax details, two-thirds of the French said they were opposed to the new tax. Some 73 percent said it would be ineffective in reducing energy consumption.