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Are Environmentally Related Taxes Effective?

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  • Sebastian Miller
  • Mauricio Vela

Abstract

This paper focuses on the question of whether the magnitude of long-established environmentally related taxes (ERT) is related to countries environmental performance. While environmental taxes efficiencies have previously been discussed, those taxes contribution to reducing pollution and improving environmental quality has not been fully explored. This paper therefore analyzes the effectiveness of environmental taxes by examining the environmental performance of 50 countries from all regions in association with the amount of revenues from environmentally related taxes each country collects. Using a cross-section regression and a panel dynamic regression, the paper finds that countries with higher revenues from these types of taxes also exhibit higher reductions in CO2 emission, PM10 emissions, and energy consumption and production from fossil sources.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Miller & Mauricio Vela, 2013. "Are Environmentally Related Taxes Effective?," Research Department Publications IDB-WP-467, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:wpaper:idb-wp-467
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    Cited by:

    1. Tipper, Adam & Harkness, Jane, 2018. "Environmental Taxation and Expenditure in New Zealand," Working Paper Series 7627, Victoria University of Wellington, Chair in Public Finance.
    2. Tipper, Adam & Harkness, Jane, 2018. "Environmental Taxation and Expenditure in New Zealand," Working Paper Series 20835, Victoria University of Wellington, Chair in Public Finance.
    3. Ali Eren Alper, 2018. "Analysis of Carbon Tax on Selected European Countries: Does Carbon Tax Reduce Emissions?," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 5(1), pages 29-36, January.
    4. Ionel Bostan & Mihaela Onofrei & Elena-Doina Dascalu & Bogdan Fîrtescu, 2016. "Impact of Sustainable Environmental Expenditures Policy on Air Pollution Reduction, During European Integration Framework," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 18(42), pages 286-286, May.
    5. Richard M. Bird, 2014. "Global Taxes and International Taxation: Mirage and Reality," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1429, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    6. Fawzia Mohammed Idris, "undated". "Evaluating an environmental tax as a source of funding for Social Health Insurance: Sudan case," Review of Socio - Economic Perspectives 202194, Reviewsep.
    7. Runst, Petrik & Höhle, David, 2022. "The German eco tax and its impact on CO2 emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    8. Jaime Vallés-Giménez & Anabel Zárate-Marco, 2020. "A Dynamic Spatial Panel of Subnational GHG Emissions: Environmental Effectiveness of Emissions Taxes in Spanish Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-22, April.
    9. Richard M. Bird, 2018. "Are global taxes feasible?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(5), pages 1372-1400, October.
    10. Bartosz Jóźwik & Antonina Gavryshkiv, 2022. "Wpływ podatku środowiskowego na emisję gazów cieplarnianych w państwach Grupy Wyszehradzkiej," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1, pages 66-78.
    11. Yemane Wolde-Rufael & Eyob Mulat-weldemeskel, 2023. "Effectiveness of environmental taxes and environmental stringent policies on CO2 emissions: the European experience," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 5211-5239, June.
    12. Djula Borozan, 2018. "Efficiency of Energy Taxes and the Validity of the Residential Electricity Environmental Kuznets Curve in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-16, July.
    13. Beata Zofia Filipiak & Dorota Wyszkowska, 2022. "Determinants of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in European Union Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-24, December.
    14. Borozan, Djula, 2019. "Unveiling the heterogeneous effect of energy taxes and income on residential energy consumption," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 13-22.
    15. Alina Georgiana Manta & Nicoleta Mihaela Florea & Roxana Maria Bădîrcea & Jenica Popescu & Daniel Cîrciumaru & Marius Dalian Doran, 2020. "The Nexus between Carbon Emissions, Energy Use, Economic Growth and Financial Development: Evidence from Central and Eastern European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-21, September.
    16. Nihal Ahmed & Adnan Ahmed Sheikh & Zeeshan Hamid & Piotr Senkus & Ricardo Cosio Borda & Aneta Wysokińska-Senkus & Waldemar Glabiszewski, 2022. "Exploring the Causal Relationship among Green Taxes, Energy Intensity, and Energy Consumption in Nordic Countries: Dumitrescu and Hurlin Causality Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-15, July.
    17. Marian Zaharia & Aurelia Pătrașcu & Manuela Rodica Gogonea & Ana Tănăsescu & Constanța Popescu, 2017. "A Cluster Design on the Influence of Energy Taxation in Shaping the New EU-28 Economic Paradigm," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-21, February.
    18. Roxana Maria Bădîrcea & Nicoleta Mihaela Florea & Alina Georgiana Manta & Silvia Puiu & Marius Dalian Doran, 2020. "Comparison between Romania and Sweden Based on Three Dimensions: Environmental Performance, Green Taxation and Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-17, May.

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    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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