Environmental policy applies different approaches in order to protect the environment and to foster a sustainable transition and the economic one is more and more significance.Among different economic instruments environmental taxation can play a crucial role, because of its regulatory dimension that is able to influence people’s behavior. On the one hand environmental taxes have many important advantages, such as economic efficiency, the ability to raise public revenue that can be reused, transparency but on the other hand they can be regressive and contrary to the principle of the ability to pay. Its potential is not new, Jacques Delors, the President of the European Commission, proposed the introduction of a European carbon tax in 1992, recycling the revenue to stimulate the economy by reducing the social contributions paid by businesses and workers, thus generating a double dividend, in terms of environmental and economic benefits. Despite many imperfections environmental taxes have been used to address a wide range of issues including waste disposal, water pollution, air emissions, noise pollution, energy production and consumption. The road to find the right balance for environmental taxation is still long but it is certainly right. Come to the Summer School and let’s explore it together!
