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The Relationship between Energy Taxation and Business Environmental Protection Expenditures in the European Union

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  • Jeffrey, Cynthia
  • Perkins, Jon D.

Abstract

Businesses are often subject to energy taxes that impose a charge on greenhouse gas emissions. Theoretically, energy taxes should motivate business spending on emissions abatement up to the point that, at the margin, the cost of reducing emissions equals the amount of the tax that is avoided. We use European Union (EU) data from 2001 to 2008 to test the hypothesized positive relationship between energy taxes and business spending on abatement initiatives for the protection of ambient air and climate. We find that while overall business spending and business investment expenditures are positively related to energy tax rates, current period expenditures are not related to energy tax rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey, Cynthia & Perkins, Jon D., 2014. "The Relationship between Energy Taxation and Business Environmental Protection Expenditures in the European Union," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 403-425.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:accoun:v:49:y:2014:i:4:p:403-425
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intacc.2014.10.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rong He & Le Luo & Abul Shamsuddin & Qingliang Tang, 2022. "Corporate carbon accounting: a literature review of carbon accounting research from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 261-298, March.
    2. Pramila Shrestha & Bobae Choi & Le Luo & Junru Zhang, 2025. "Carbon Management System and Firm Operational Efficiency," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 65(4), pages 3710-3738, December.
    3. Radhakrishnan, Suresh & Tsang, Albert & Liu, Rubing, 2018. "A Corporate Social Responsibility Framework for Accounting Research," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 274-294.
    4. Jean Andrei & Mihai Mieila & Gheorghe H. Popescu & Elvira Nica & Manole Cristina, 2016. "The Impact and Determinants of Environmental Taxation on Economic Growth Communities in Romania," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-11, November.
    5. Zhou, Yankun & Tang, Taijie & Luo, Le, 2023. "Is corporate environmental investment a strategic risk management tool? Evidence from short selling threats," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Jeffrey, Cynthia & Perkins, Jon D., 2015. "Reply to Discussion of “The Association between Energy Taxation, Participation in an Emissions Trading System, and the Intensity of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the European Union”," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 427-434.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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