Carbon Tax

Climate Emergency: A 26-Week Transition Program for Canada, by Guy Dauncey

What could the government of Canada do if its Ministers, MPs and civil servants really understood the severity of the climate emergency, and the urgency of the need?

This paper shows how we could target a 65% reduction in emissions by 2030 and 100% by 2040. It proposes 164 new policies and programs, financed by $63 billion a year in new investments, without raising taxes or increasing public sector borrowing.

The new programs and policies are announced every Monday morning between January 6th and the end of June. To learn what they are, read on.
https://thepracticalutopian.ca/2020/01/05/climate-emergency-a-26-week-transition-program-for-canada/

With an increasing American public desire to regulate carbon emissions from stationary and dynamic sources, and with more states adopting green energy and building legislation as an effort towards green environment initiative, there are imperative needs to evaluate the efficiency and equity implications of using market based mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions in the construction and facility management industry. After all, the facility construction and operation consist of more than one third of carbon emissions in the U.S. This paper develops models of market supply, price, capacity, and technology selection on a duopoly market structure to address these research questions. The U.S. housing market is used for theoretical analysis of emission reductions and industry fairness effects of carbon regulatory policies, e.g. carbon tax and pricing. The Nash-Cournot Equilibrium is determined to assess the behavior of the various sizes of builders. The analysis shows that 1) carbon tax will be an effective policy in terms of reducing emissions effectively and avoiding large fluctuation of the construction industry; 2) effects implications of the carbon regulations on small contractors are greater than large ones; 3) house market price will rise as a result of carbon tax and will be shared by contractors and customers; and 4) the reduction of carbon emissions is primarily due to the adoption of available cost-efficient technologies.

In this paper, we use a stochastic integrated assessment model to evaluate the effects of uncertainty about future carbon taxes and the costs of low-carbon power technologies. We assess the implications of such ambiguity on the mitigation portfolio under a variety of assumptions and evaluate the role of emission performance standards and renewable portfolios in accompanying a market-based climate policy. Results suggest that climate policy and technology uncertainties are important with varying effects on all abatement options. The effect varies with the technology, the type of uncertainty, and the level of risk. We show that carbon price uncertainty does not substantially change the level of abatement, but it does have an influence on the mitigation portfolio, reducing in particular energy R&D investments in advanced technologies. When investment costs are uncertain, investments are discouraged, especially during the early stages, but the effect is mitigated for the technologies with technological learning prospects. Overall, these insights support some level of regulation to encourage investments in coal equipped with carbon capture and storage and clean energy R&D.

La taxe carbone en question. Gilets jaunes, capitalocène et oligarchie éco technocrate.Parue dans l'Humanité, cette tribune propose d'analyser le soulèvement des gilets jaunes en France comme un mouvement de survie à la crise écologique et sociale.

Climate change is real. It has been cleared by the scientific community that climate change is happening, and it is mostly caused by human activities.  For a vulnerable country such as the Philippines, it is just right to put Carbon Tax as a central part of the strategies implemented in reducing carbon pollution for it is the most straight-forward and efficient strategy for quickly reducing GHG emissions.

A number of countries have been successful in taxing their carbon usage. Also, Philippines has been implementing climate change policies and strategies since 1987 up to the present, so there is no enough reason why Philippines should not extend its effort in mitigating climate change through Carbon Tax.  It is time for the Philippine government, specifically the congress, to team up with the scientific community and with the rest of the country to acknowledge the severity and threat that climate change is imposing, and take a bold action as it is stated in the Constitution that it is the State’s policy to ensure the existence of harmonious and habitable ecology for the future generation.

Analyses of redistributive policies often focus on income flows to examine the nexus between redistribution and economic growth. With strengthening signs of growing economic inequality in many countries, an increasing number of economists investigated the existence and nature of a hypothetical trade-off between economic growth and equity. As signs of unsustainable development are strengthening more generally, this paper proposes to look at the broader nexus between redistribution, equity and sustainable development, emphasizing its social and environmental dimensions. It does so by first proposing an analytical framework defining the role of redistributive policies in shaping the private income cycle as well as the public revenue-expenditure cycle. This framework distinguishes between the stock of income-generating assets (such as human capital and wealth, including land and industrial and financial capital) and deriving income flows in order to clarify the difference between the two sides of in-equity (i.e. in-equality of opportunity and in-equality of outcome), which remain intertwined in the growth-equity trade-off debate. This stock-flow approach is then used to outline key linkages between redistributive policies, in-equity and un-sustainable development. Contrasting the potential scope of redistributive policies with the more narrow set of policies that have been implemented in most countries/regions over the last 30 years, the paper discusses 14 avenues for redistributive policies to promote greater equity, economic empowerment and sustainable development.

Analyses of redistributive policies generally focus on income flows while subordinating most concerns to the overarching objective of promoting economic growth. This paper follows an alternative approach with the objective of proposing an asset-centred analytical framework, which encompasses income flows, but is centred on the stock of income-generating assets in the private and public sectors. Such a stock-flow approach reveals an artificial blind spot common to many analyses of redistributive policies: wealth redistribution. The proposed framework further allows better outlining key linkages between redistributive policies and sustainable development, including issues arising from the private ownership, marketization and overexploitation of finite natural resources. Contrasting the potential scope of asset-centred redistributive policies with the more narrow set of income-based redistributive policies that have been implemented in most countries/regions over the last 30 years, the paper derives 14 recommendations for redistributive policies in support of greater equity, economic democracy and sustainable development.

In Washington state, the introduction of a revenue-neutral carbon tax with Initiative 732 (I-732) , scheduled for a ballot on 08th November 2016, has sparked criticisms on both sides of the political spectrum. This short policy memo aims at: i) defining the issue and providing the contextual background for I-732; ii) outlining its main advantages and disadvantages; iii) proposing recommendations to increase its financial, political and public acceptability.

En approchant les politiques de décroissance énergétique avec dix-huit associations environnementales françaises, cette étude s’ancre ainsi dans les réalités politiques des contraintes du fonctionnement institutionnel existant. Une approche sociohistorique fait apparaître clairement le rationnement carbone, en tant que dispositif de répartition de quotas individuels d’émission de CO2, comme culturellement défavorisé par rapport à la taxation carbone. Si cette dernière est considérée comme un dispositif central dans la lutte contre le changement climatique, elle souffre de nombreux défauts intrinsèques et extrinsèques difficilement dépassables. Plutôt que changer de paradigme, les associations ont préféré revisiter la taxe carbone et inclure les entreprises dans l’effort fiscal. Quoique compréhensible, cette stratégie a la caractéristique de désengager de la transition écologique les personnes – en tant que sujets visant l’émancipation – puisque la fiscalité comportementale ne s’adresse qu’à des agents économiques quasi automatiques tandis que l’effort des entreprises ne les concerne pas. Simultanément, le nucléaire et la perspective de l’effondrement interviennent dans les trajectoires de décroissance énergétique avec le potentiel de les bouleverser. De nouveaux phénomènes politiques en matière de nucléaire sont ici documentés. Les associations récentes, dont l’ensemble de celles de jeunesse, ne s’opposent plus à cette technologie. Sujettes au discours de la décarbonation qui s’accommode du nucléaire, elles semblent prioriser la lutte contre le changement climatique. Quant à la perspective de l’effondrement, elle a la capacité de remettre en cause cette hiérarchie des luttes et peut directement opérer sur la manière d’organiser la décroissance énergétique par le souci de la résilience et de l’autonomie. L’étude empirique démontre que les théories de l’effondrement sont largement répandues dans le monde associatif écologiste, mais qu’elles tardent à se manifester dans leurs activités tant le décalage avec le paradigme de la transition écologique peut être vaste. À partir de ces grands résultats, ce travail discute les perspectives françaises de décroissance énergétique afin d’alimenter les réflexions politiques relatives à l’organisation collective de la raréfaction de l’énergie.

The aim of this paper is to assess tourism as a catalyst for rural development and community awareness in a case study of Coffee Bay. Tourism is considered as a viable tool for economic development, specifically in the developing world. It was envisaged and deemed necessary to develop tourism in the local community as it would generate community development, thus supporting its overall development. Apart from this tourist sites enhance community cohesion and promote peace within the host community. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Questionnaires were distributed to community members of Coffee Bay. Furthermore, a random sampling method was used for the purpose of the study. Data obtained was analysed through the use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of the study revealed a high
awareness and a high level of community willingness to participate in tourism ventures. Furthermore, findings of the study revealed that some members of the community have already participated in Small
Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs). However, the negative aspects raised by the community in the development processes are the issue of government interference and the lack of sponsors together with the poor infrastructure. Therefore, it is recommended that the government must make a concerted effort in providing a sustainable and conducive environment for tourism to thrive in the Coffee Bay community. Funding was also cited as one of the bottlenecks. As such, funding should be provided either by the government or by the private sector to ensure an on-going process of tourism development.

The carbon tax approved by the Mexican Congress as part of the Fiscal Reform of 2013 remains as one of the lowest worldwide. This is a result of the political and bargaining processes in which the private sector lobbied Congress to reduce the rate proposed by the executive branch, and in which civil society participated marginally. As a consequence, some fossil fuels were exempted and others were levied with a disproportionally low rate.

The global consensus on the threat of climate change risk leads to an agreement to mitigate higher greenhouse gas emissions and limit global mean temperature rise to below 2 °C and, ideally, below 1.5 °C by 2050. In achieving the mean temperature target, international organisations like the World Bank, Organisation of Economic Cooperation Development and United Nations strongly suggest that policymakers implement a carbon pricing policy. A carbon tax is a market-based policy that has gained attention from many policymakers to reduce carbon emissions and increase the government's revenue. Designing a feasible carbon tax framework is crucial to ensure effectiveness and public acceptability. However, policy design in developing countries may be more complicated than in developed countries due to insufficient income and resources, social inequity, and poverty. This paper discusses the features of a carbon tax and the dimensions of designing an effective carbon tax policy for developing nations. A simplified framework for carbon tax implementation in developing countries is provided. The framework should be a foundation for developing countries to implement and develop a feasible and acceptable carbon tax policy.

The scientific consensus on climate change is far ahead of U.S. policy on point. In fact, the U.S. has a legal vacuum of car- bon taxation while climate change continues to impact the code- pendence of agriculture and the environment. As this Article shows, carbon taxes follow the polluter-pays model, levying taxes on the highest greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions—and contribu- tions to climate change. But this is not only unsustainable; it would also undermine agricultural production and, thus, food se- curity. This Article describes how the law can regulate climate change contributions and promote adaptation and mitigation strategies. If climate change adaptation and mitigation are not supported through carbon taxes in the agricultural sector, twenty percent of GHG contributions will be left untouched, jeopardizing the future of U.S. food production at the environment’s expense. This Article reveals new avenues of climate change adaptation and mitigation through carbon taxation of genetically modified (“GMO”) commodity crops to bring the carbon tax to a previously overlooked contributor to climate change: intensive agriculture. However, adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, such as extreme weather events, droughts, and floods, can only be accomplished through concerted efforts of various industries, governments​, and the public like cap-and-trade or carbon tax schemes imposing blanket limits on GHG emissions.

The topic of rising CO 2 emissions is becoming an ever growing concern in political, economic, social and environmental science. The importance of the ecological environment has been recognized in the field of sustainable development. Effective policies are needed to deal with global climate change. In this paper, the question if a carbon tax is the right instrument for tackling the problem of growing CO 2 emissions will be discussed. Both, the ecological, as well as the economic dimensions, will be analysed. The findings will be put into the international context. The paper will conclude, that carbon taxes are an effective policy tool when implemented through international cooperation.

Action on climate change has enjoyed popular support in most Western countries. Despite this, successive governments have struggled to implement policy to tackle this issue. Using the case of opposition to the Clean Energy Act, passed in Australia to establish an emissions trading scheme, this paper argues that a growing and broad sentiment of distrust in political elites, described as 'anti-politics', can explain some of this contradiction. Particular forms of climate policy, in particular emissions trading schemes, have been successfully framed as policies that appeal to the interests of a new class of liberal elites while hurting ordinary working people. This frame was used successfully in Australia by conservative forces to oppose the Clean Energy Act. While used cynically by political leaders in this case, the paper argues that anti-political sentiment reflects genuine concerns about the detachment between the state and voting population. This detachment is reflected in neoliberal climate policies. Through briefly examining the cases of the Trump Administration's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the Gilets Jaunes protest movement, the paper argues that while formulating climate policy we must consider anti-political sentiment, developing responses to the climate crisis from a bottom-up rather than top-down approach.

Key messages:
• Market-based instruments (MBIs), either under the form of emissions trading or carbon taxation, have been increasingly popular in OECD countries and, in Canada, at the sub-national level.
• Québec, Alberta, British Columbia and, to a lesser extent Manitoba, have all successfully adopted and implemented carbon pricing policies, while Ontario and Saskatchewan have proposed to adopt MBIs though implementation has not yet proceeded.
• The implementation of MBIs began in 2007, after the Harper government decided not to implement any such instrument at the federal level, allowing provinces to experiment without creating redundant carbon pricing schemes.
• Three important types of obstacles to the adoption and implementation of MBIs are identified amongst Canadian provinces: administrative obstacles associated with a lack of environmental and climate change policy capacity, political obstacles associated with the provincial party system and salience of MBIs during elections, and finally economic obstacles, especially the policy preferences of main provincial industries.
• MBIs remain popular amongst Canadians and different strategies can be adopted to overcome obstacles to their implementation. Policy capacity can be secured rapidly through inter-jurisdictional cooperation and/or by using central agencies such as the ministry of finance or specialized regulatory bodies rather than environment ministries. In provinces where resistance to market-based approaches is more significant, a narrow-based carbon tax or limited form of emissions trading (such as credit-based emissions trading) can be implemented as a first step toward a more comprehensive and effective market instruments. These instruments can also be used to augment financial resources to increase climate change policy capacity or funding for new technologies that might, in the long run, help reduce compliance costs associated with more stringent MBIs.

The PAGE09 model is a revised version of the earlier PAGE2002 and PAGE95 integrated assessment models (IAMs) that have been extensively used to evaluate climate change impacts and the social costs and benefits of different abatement and adaptation policies under uncertainty. This paper investigates the use of the latest PAGE09 model as a policy-oriented tool in determining an efficient climate change policy that internalises the mean social cost of carbon dioxide (SCCO 2). We show that the choice of final analysis year, time horizon and the carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions pathway in the PAGE09 model do significantly affect the model results for the SCCO 2 and its trajectory over time and so the prescriptions of future climate policy. Further analysis shows that a constant time horizon and a slight modification of the penultimate analysis year which is currently fixed in the default model help avoid the underestimation of the SCCO 2 in future years. This paper also highlights the potential benefit of a consensus position on the specification of time horizon for the development of future IAMs to aid policy making.

The science on climate change has reached near-unanimous agreement; greater than ninety-seven percent of all scientific enquiry concludes that global warming is a phenomenon closely linked to human production of goods, most notably through the consumption of fossil fuels. However politicians and economists continue to disagree on the appropriate interventions to address the problem. The aim of this analysis is to identify the negative externality of global warming, to discuss the implications of externalities, to review current academic contributions, and to provide an account of policy measures that address global warming. This discussion begins with an overview of both positive and negative externalities. Once an understanding of externalities is established and global warming is agreeably identified as a negative (externality), the discussion turns to the current research on global warming and associated policies. Of primary discussion is the application of a carbon tax to incentivize a reduction of emissions and fossil fuel consumption. This discussion focuses on a European Union proposal from the early nineteen-nineties; an analysis of the failure of the Kyoto protocol and recommendations to adopt a globally accepted (harmonized) carbon tax; and two alternate policy instruments to address climate change. Ultimately, this summary analysis concludes that while a carbon tax may be widely accepted as the most effective route to curtail the issues associated with global warming, a multimodal intervention approach and the adoption of multiple strategies may find more uniform and global acceptance.

This review paper examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets postulated by a range of organizations seeking to reduce the consequences of global climate change and how, or if, the global tourism sector can achieve its share of those targets. It takes both existing estimates of current tourism GHG emissions and emissions projected in a business-as-usual scenario through to 2035 and contrasts them with the “aspirational” emission reduction targets proclaimed by the sector. Analysis reveals that with current high-growth emission trends in tourism, the sector could become a major global source of GHGs in the future if other economic sectors achieve significant emission reductions. Success in achieving emission reductions in tourism is found to be largely dependent on major policy and practice changes in air travel, and stated tourism emission reduction targets do not appear feasible without volumetric changes considering the limited technical emission reduction potential currently projected for the aviation sector. The opportunities and challenges associated with a shift towards a low-carbon global economy are anticipated to transform tourism globally and in all respects. Much greater consideration and dissemination of these issues is required to inform future tourism development and travel decisions.

Çevre vergileri çevresel ya da mali amaçlarla birçok ülkede uygulanmaktadır. Bu vergiler kirlilik yoğun endüstrilerin maliyetlerinin artmasına ve uluslararası piyasalarda rekabet gücünü yitirmesine neden olmaktadır. Bu nedenle bu endüstriler, üretimlerini çevresel önlemlerin daha düşük olduğu ve çevrenin göz ardı edildiği ülkelere kaydırmaya çalışmaktadır. Bu durumu fırsata çevirip kaynak elde etmek isteyen ülkeler, bu kaynağı elde etmekte ancak çevre, ülkeye gelen yatırımlarla orantılı biçimde zarar görmektedir. Çalışmada çevreyi göz ardı eden ülkeler ile çevre vergileri uygulayan ülkelerdeki karbon salınımının ve buna bağlı olarak çevre kirliliğinin yıllar itibari ile değişimi öznel olarak incelenmiştir. Yapılan incelemelerde çevre politikalarını göz ardı eden ülkelerdeki karbon salınımının yüksek değerlere ulaştığı görülmüştür.


Industries with intense pollution which face cost pressure because of environmental taxes that are implemented by many countries either for environmental or financial concerns and lose their competitiveness in international markets, carry out their productive activities in those countries where environmental measurements are less and the environment is neglected. Therefore, countries can get the required support for their development and growth whereas the environment is damaged proportionate to these investments. The aim of this study is to observe the change of carbon release and the environmental pollution by years between the countries neglecting the environment and the others implementing environmental taxes in a subjective manner. Fort this purpose, carbon release of ten cleanest countries and ten most polluted countries were compared based on pollution index and it has been found out that carbon release is higher in those countries which neglect environmental policies.

Research into renewable energy sources has previously lacked sufficient investment. However, emphasis has now shifted and funding is being made available in a proactive manner by various governments eager to encourage renewable energy technology and reduce carbon taxes. Fuel Cells offer a realistic, sustainable and clean alternative energy option for stationary and mobile applications. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are

Many economists have considered eco-taxation as a possible solution to many environmental problems. Sweden's Carbon Tax is the first example of such taxation scheme in actual use. The Ukraine introduced an Environmental Tax Reform in 2011. This paper presents an analysis of tendencies in the environmental policy and taxation in the European countries. Particular attention is paid to Sweden - the first and Ukraine - the last of the countries, which introduced the Environmental Taxes.