Thalmann, Philippe --- "Global environmental taxes" [2012] ELECD 1251; in Milne, E. Janet; Andersen, S. Mikael (eds), "Handbook of Research on Environmental Taxation" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012) 456

Book Title: Handbook of Research on Environmental Taxation

Editor(s): Milne, E. Janet; Andersen, S. Mikael

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781848449978

Section: Chapter 25

Section Title: Global environmental taxes

Author(s): Thalmann, Philippe

Number of pages: 21

Abstract/Description:

Other chapters of this Handbook show that environmental taxes are very interesting instruments for environmental regulation. The question addressed in this chapter is whether they are still interesting when the environmental problem is a global one. Are they still effective and efficient? Are they feasible and acceptable? First, however, a few definitions are needed: what are global environmental problems and how could taxes help address them? A global environmental problem is an environmental problem to which nearly all countries contribute and that affects nearly all countries of the world. This implies that nearly all countries should participate in resolving it. However, individual countries contribute in different amounts and are affected in different ways. They also face different abatement costs, or costs for reducing their share of environmental harm. This implies that national contributions toward resolving the problem should be modulated. Clearly, making sure that all countries participate and allocating abatement efforts efficiently across all countries will be key issues for global environmental problems, particularly as there exists no global authority that could force participation and impose abatement efforts on sovereign countries (Carraro 1999).