Suchergebnisse

During the past decade the issue of a general welfare double dividend (an improvement in environmental quality combined with a positive welfare effect) triggered by a tax shift from labour to energy resources has been extensively debated. In this book, Kurt Kratena studies the employment effects of revenue neutral tax shifts from labour to energy, and measures the impact on theoretical and empirical models of the European labour market. A common theoretical framework is devised to analyse the impact of environmental tax reform. Various 'labour market regimes' (competitive labour markets, union wage bargaining and efficiency wages) are derived and taken as the starting point for different specifications of the labour market. The theoretical outcomes of tax shifts in these different labour market regimes are then analysed and compared. The results reveal that whereas an econometric based multi-sectoral model yields significant double dividend effects, a general equilibrium model only finds employment double dividend effects. The book also highlights the potentially positive economic consequences of environmental tax reform such as a shift in demand from energy to non-energy goods. This book provides a concise appraisal of the general double dividend question combined with an innovative analysis of the employment double dividend effect. It utilises extensive empirical evidence and reveals the sensitivity of the various theoretical concepts surrounding the debate. This book will be of interest and relevance to academics in the fields of environmental economics, labour theory and fiscal studies

Using micro data from the European Value Survey (EVS) over 2008-2010, the paper investigates the individual and country variables that might affect the WTP for the environment of the 27 European Union (EU) Member States and in particular on the correlation of individual preferences to the existence/inexistence of the Environmental Tax Reform (ETR). Analyses, carried out by means of ordered logit OLS, logit and partial generalized ordered logit, provide useful insights to policy makers in fostering the tool of ETR, strongly promoted by the EU. Among others, our results show that WTP for the environment is higher in countries where an ETR has not been implemented. Moreover, further analyses conducted on the role of information highlight that being presumably aware of the ETR has a null/negative impact on the WTP for the environment.

A review of the literature on environmental taxes, focusing on European experiences, and analysing how such taxes can contribute to green causes as well as reducing the tax burden from "ordinary" taxation. The authors examine the potential 'double dividend' from tax reform for helping the environment, reducing unemployment and encouraging growth

A number of countries in the EU suffer from two major problems. First, the social and economic problems associated with high unemployment rates and, second, the degradation of natural environments. In the light of both of these problems, environmental tax reforms have been widely discussed in the EU. Indeed, some economists have argued that environmental tax reforms may contribute to reduce unemployment and, at the same time, improve the quality of the environment, thus yielding a so-called 'double dividend' . Other economists, however, have raised doubts on the double-dividend argument. In their view, such a tax reform is not likely to cut unemployment rates. This paper explains that this conflict among economists originates from the difference in methodology, namely, partial equilibrium vs. general equilibrium approaches. In particular, the double-dividend conclusion from the partial equilibrium approach may be misleading because, unlike the general equilibrium analysis, it ignores the interactions between markets. Although general equilibrium models have often been used to show that the double-dividend hypothesis may fail, they also provide insights that unemployment can fall due to an environmental tax reform. However, such a double dividend is typically associated with a shift in the income distribution from people outside the labor market towards the insiders. This change in the income distribution makes it very difficult politically to impose environmental taxes. Hence, concentration on the unemployment argument may frustrate the introduction of environmental taxes because the reduction in unemployment is typically associated with political tendencies due to a change in the income distribution. The best strategy to limit political obstacles seems to be one in which the income distribution is maintained. This can be achieved by using the revenues from environmental taxes to compensate people who bear the burden of the environmental taxes. Such a revenue-recycling strategy is generally different from one that concentrates on reducing unemployment.

Climate change is a critical issue of our days. In an effort to tackle climate change, Europe has set ambitious targets and policy designs. A significant aspect of EU's strategy for the mitigation of climate change is the implementation of environmental taxation and environmental tax reforms, in order to correct externalities and to influence a change of economic agents' behaviors towards polluting products and activities. Green taxes have a dual purpose, to protect the environment and social welfare and to raise revenues for the governments, as any tax. Under this prism, environmental tax reform could be enforced in a revenue-neutral scheme, where the increase of taxes levied on polluting activities or on excessive resource use could offset the reduction in income, labor taxes and social contributions. In the first part of this thesis, the emphasis is given in the theory of environmental taxation and ETR, as well as the current status of environmental tax revenue in Europe. The second part comprises of a statistical analysis of CO2 emissions and environmental tax revenues in terms of GDP, of six EU countries. Then, an econometric approach follows, testing the causal relation between the two variables.