The Yellow Vests riots sweeping across France have grabbed headlines as governments gather in Katowice, Poland for the UN climate conference (COP24). This is the most widespread and violent protest in France since the 2005 suburban riots, and perhaps even 1968. While the unrest initially erupted as a protest against the latest rise in fuel taxes, which the government has now agreed to postpone, some are attributing the riots to a backlash against carbon taxes and climate action. This is a misguided conclusion.