Green Fiscal Reform Can Create Jobs And Stimulate Innovation Across The EU

16 May 2013

Copenhagen, Denmark -- Increasing some tax rates and removing subsidies on environmentally harmful products and services can boost economic growth if the revenue generated is then used to relieve the tax burden on employment and investment. These findings come from a series of studies from the European Environment Agency (EEA) looking at the potential for fiscal reform in four EU countries affected by the current economic crisis.

Proposals for environmental fiscal reform received a positive reaction when presented to government representatives in Portugal recently, the latest country to be analysed by EEA. Since 2010, similar analyses have been undertaken and presented for Spain, Italy and Ireland.

Environmental fiscal reform (EFR) can encourage growth by reducing taxation on labour and investment – for example, income tax and corporation tax – and shifting the tax burden to the production and consumption of environmentally-harmful goods and services. Another feature of EFR is removing harmful subsidies, for example, those given for fossil fuels, and using the revenues saved to stimulate renewable energy and resource-efficient technologies.

To reduce other taxes

Studies have demonstrated that environmental taxes can achieve environmental objectives at the same time as raising revenues. Modelling shows that they also have a less negative effect on GDP compared to other types of taxes, such as direct taxes, for example income tax, or indirect taxes such as value added tax. This crucial feature of environmental taxes means countries could use them to support either fiscal consolidation or to reduce other taxes.

Environmental taxes can change behaviour, encouraging consumers to redirect their consumption towards less taxed commodities. Such incentives would likely create both low and highly skilled jobs, for example in the recycling and energy efficiency sectors. The shift in taxation can also stimulate innovation in the longer term.

The time has come

Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director, said: “European governments are looking for effective ways to create sustainable growth. Environmental fiscal reform is an idea whose time has come. Throughout Europe people are clearly very concerned that solutions to the crisis should be fair, so it is apt to make polluters pay the costs that they currently impose on the rest of society.”

Source: http://www.recyclingportal.eu/artikel/30575.shtml