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Does the quality of political institutions matter for the effectiveness of environmental taxes? An empirical analysis on CO2 emissions

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  • Donatella Baiardi

    (Università di Parma)

  • Simona Scabrosetti

    (Università di Pavia and Dondena Università Bocconi)

Abstract

We empirically investigate the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) focusing on a sample of 39 countries in the period 1996-2014. Using an interaction model, we also analyze whether the effectiveness of environmental taxes in reducing CO2 emissions depends on the quality of political institutions. Our results show that the inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental stress and economic development holds independently of the quality of political institu- tions and environment related taxes. Moreover, an increase in the environmental tax revenue has the expected reducing effect on environmental degradation only in countries with more consolidated democratic institutions, higher civil society par- ticipation and less corrupt governments. Our findings also show that the effects on environmental stress of revenue neutral shifts to different tax sources depend not only on the quality of political institutions, but also on the kind of externality the policymaker aims at correcting.

Suggested Citation

  • Donatella Baiardi & Simona Scabrosetti, 2020. "Does the quality of political institutions matter for the effectiveness of environmental taxes? An empirical analysis on CO2 emissions," Working papers 92, Società Italiana di Economia Pubblica.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipu:wpaper:92
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    environmental tax revenue; environmental tax mix; environmental Kuznets Curve; CO2 emissions.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q38 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy (includes OPEC Policy)

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