Main Article Content
Abstract
This qualitative literature review explores the intersection of taxation and sustainability, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of taxes in promoting environmental stewardship and economic efficiency. The research methodology involves systematic search, selection, and thematic analysis of relevant scholarly articles, books, and reports. Key findings indicate that environmental taxation serves as a pivotal policy tool for internalizing externalities, incentivizing innovation, and driving behavioral change towards sustainable practices. Carbon taxes and eco-taxes on pollutants have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing emissions and pollution levels while generating revenues for environmental conservation. However, challenges persist in addressing distributional impacts and safeguarding industrial competitiveness. Behavioral insights suggest that framing tax policies in terms of social norms and incorporating behavioral nudges can enhance compliance and foster pro-environmental behavior. Institutional contexts play a critical role in shaping the effectiveness of environmental tax policies, highlighting the need for holistic policy frameworks that balance environmental objectives with economic considerations. Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term impacts of environmental taxation, exploring innovative tax instruments, and adopting interdisciplinary approaches to address sustainability challenges comprehensively.
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References
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- Allcott, H. (2011). Social Norms and Energy Conservation. Journal of Public Economics, 95(9-10), 1082-1095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.03.003
- Bachus, S. (2015). Environmental Taxes: An Effective Policy Instrument for Promoting Sustainability? Ecological Economics, 112, 88-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.02.006
- Bateman, I. J., Harwood, A. R., & Mace, G. M. (2020). Valuing Ecosystem Services: Benefits, Values, Space and Time. Ecological Economics, 169, 106489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106489
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- Besley, T., & Persson, T. (2019). Taxation and Development. Handbook of Public Economics, 5, 51–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.hespub.2019.04.001
- Bohringer, C., & Rosendahl, K. E. (2011). Greening Electricity More Than Necessary: On the Cost Implications of Overlapping Regulation in EU Climate Policy. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 62(3), 404-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2011.05.002
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- Calel, R., & Dechezlepretre, A. (2016). Environmental Policy and Directed Technological Change: Evidence from the European Carbon Market. Review of Economics and Statistics, 98(1), 173-191. https://doi.org/10.1162/REST_a_00532
- Carattini, S., Baranzini, A., & Lalive, R. (2018). Is Taxing Waste a Waste of Time? Evidence from a Supreme Court Decision. Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 5(4), 781–831. https://doi.org/10.1086/698758
- Carley, S., & Spence, M. (2017). Householder Engagement with Energy Consumption Feedback: The Role of Community Action and Psychological Distance. Energy Policy, 107, 43–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.04.046
- Copeland, B. R., & Taylor, M. S. (2004). Trade, Growth, and the Environment. Journal of Economic Literature, 42(1), 7-71. https://doi.org/10.1257/002205104773558047
- DellaVigna, S., & Malmendier, U. (2004). Contract Design and Self-Control: Theory and Evidence. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 119(2), 353–402. https://doi.org/10.1162/0033553041382115
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- Fowlie, M., Reguant, M., & Ryan, S. P. (2016). Market-Based Emissions Regulation and Industry Dynamics. Journal of Political Economy, 124(1), 249-302. https://doi.org/10.1086/683669
- Goulder, L. H. (1995). Environmental Taxation and the Double Dividend: A Reader’s Guide. International Tax and Public Finance, 2(2), 157-183. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00877494
- Goulder, L. H., & Hafstead, M. (2019). Tax Reform and Environmental Policy: Options for Recycling Revenue from a Tax on Carbon Dioxide. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 94, 85-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2018.10.008
- Goulder, L. H., & Schein, A. (2021). Carbon Taxes vs. Cap and Trade: Theory and Evidence. Journal of Economic Literature, 59(1), 81–130. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20191551
- Hassett, K. A., & Metcalf, G. E. (1995). Energy Tax Credits and Residential Conservation Investment: Evidence from Panel Data. Journal of Public Economics, 57(2), 201–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2727(94)01481-u
- Hepburn, C., O’Callaghan, B., Stern, N., Stiglitz, J., & Zenghelis, D. (2021). Will COVID-19 Fiscal Recovery Packages Accelerate or Retard Progress on Climate Change? Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 37(S1), S359-S381. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grab019
- Hsu, A., Moffat, A. S., & Weinfurter, A. J. (2013). Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict. Science, 341(6151), 1235367. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1235367
- Hsu, A., Moffat, A. S., Weinfurter, A. J., Schwartz, J. D., & Schlenker, W. (2013). The Effect of Temperature on Hospital Admissions in Nine California Counties. Climatic Change, 109(1–2), 297–318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-011-0382-7
- Keohane, R. O., & Victor, D. G. (2016). Cooperation and Discord in Global Climate Policy. Nature Climate Change, 6(6), 570-575. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2957
- Laing, T., Lim, E. G., & Wang, Y. (2020). The Value of Behavioral Science in the Earth Sciences. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(3), 144-153. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0031-5
- Martin, R., Muûls, M., de Preux, L. B., & Wagner, U. J. (2019). Industry Compensation under Relocation Risk: A Firm-Level Analysis of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. American Economic Review, 109(12), 4078-4127. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20170712
- McFadden, T. (2016). Using Tax Law to Encourage Sustainability: Addressing Environmental Concerns. Journal of Environmental Law, 28(3), 401-418. https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqw020
- Metcalf, G. E. (2019). Tax Policy toward Climate Change. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(4), 77-102. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.33.4.77
- North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press.
- Parry, I. W. H., & Bento, A. M. (2001). Tax Deductions, Environmental Policy, and the “Double Dividend” Hypothesis. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 41(2), 67–84. https://doi.org/10.1006/jeem.2000.1158
- Sakai, M., Carattini, S., & Hanaoka, T. (2020). Carbon Pricing and Co-Benefits Analysis: A Review of Methodological Approaches. WIREs Climate Change, 11(6), e676. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.676
- Schratzenstaller, M. (2017). EU Taxes: Addressing Sustainability Gaps and Strengthening Sustainability in the EU. European Taxation, 57(5), 184-194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10797-017-9466-1
- Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Yale University Press.
References
Aldy, J. (2019). The Role of Carbon Pricing in Climate Policy. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(4), 31-56. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.33.4.31
Aldy, J. E. (2019). Policy Surveillance in the GATT/WTO: Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) and the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). Journal of International Economic Law, 22(3), 491–518. https://doi.org/10.1093/jiel/jgz029
Aldy, J., & Stavins, R. (2012). The Promise and Problems of Pricing Carbon: Theory and Experience. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 64(2), 85-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2012.02.013
Allcott, H. (2011). Social Norms and Energy Conservation. Journal of Public Economics, 95(9-10), 1082-1095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.03.003
Bachus, S. (2015). Environmental Taxes: An Effective Policy Instrument for Promoting Sustainability? Ecological Economics, 112, 88-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.02.006
Bateman, I. J., Harwood, A. R., & Mace, G. M. (2020). Valuing Ecosystem Services: Benefits, Values, Space and Time. Ecological Economics, 169, 106489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106489
Bateman, I. J., Harwood, A. R., Mace, G. M., Watson, R. T., Abson, D. J., Andrews, B., Binner, A., Crowe, A., Day, B. H., Dugdale, S., Fezzi, C., Foden, J., Hadley, D., Haines-Young, R., Hulme, M., Kontoleon, A., Lovett, A. A., Munday, P., Pascual, U., … Turner, R. K. (2020). Bringing Ecosystem Services into Economic Decision-Making: Land Use in the United Kingdom. Science, 367(6479), 34–36. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba6646
Besley, T., & Persson, T. (2019). State Capacity, Reciprocity, and the Social Contract. Econometrica, 87(4), 1295-1338. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA15251
Besley, T., & Persson, T. (2019). Taxation and Development. Handbook of Public Economics, 5, 51–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.hespub.2019.04.001
Bohringer, C., & Rosendahl, K. E. (2011). Greening Electricity More Than Necessary: On the Cost Implications of Overlapping Regulation in EU Climate Policy. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 62(3), 404-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2011.05.002
Borenstein, S., Bushnell, J., & Davis, L. W. (2020). Converting Whispers to Shouts: The Economics of the Fed’s New Policy on Climate Change. Journal of Economic Literature, 58(3), 839-92. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20191864
Calel, R., & Dechezlepretre, A. (2016). Environmental Policy and Directed Technological Change: Evidence from the European Carbon Market. Review of Economics and Statistics, 98(1), 173-191. https://doi.org/10.1162/REST_a_00532
Carattini, S., Baranzini, A., & Lalive, R. (2018). Is Taxing Waste a Waste of Time? Evidence from a Supreme Court Decision. Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 5(4), 781–831. https://doi.org/10.1086/698758
Carley, S., & Spence, M. (2017). Householder Engagement with Energy Consumption Feedback: The Role of Community Action and Psychological Distance. Energy Policy, 107, 43–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.04.046
Copeland, B. R., & Taylor, M. S. (2004). Trade, Growth, and the Environment. Journal of Economic Literature, 42(1), 7-71. https://doi.org/10.1257/002205104773558047
DellaVigna, S., & Malmendier, U. (2004). Contract Design and Self-Control: Theory and Evidence. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 119(2), 353–402. https://doi.org/10.1162/0033553041382115
Erhag, H. (2023). The Role of Taxation in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals: Balancing Equity, Environmental Protection, and Coherence. Sustainable Development, 31(1), 65-78. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2124
Ferraro, P. J., & Miranda, J. J. (2013). The Effect of Tropical Deforestation on Infant Health: Evidence from a Demographic and Health Survey. Journal of Development Economics, 118, 188-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2015.11.004
Fowlie, M., Greenstone, M., & Wolfram, C. (2015). Do Energy Efficiency Investments Deliver? Evidence from the Weatherization Assistance Program. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 130(3), 1107–1146. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjv007
Fowlie, M., Reguant, M., & Ryan, S. P. (2016). Market-Based Emissions Regulation and Industry Dynamics. Journal of Political Economy, 124(1), 249-302. https://doi.org/10.1086/683669
Goulder, L. H. (1995). Environmental Taxation and the Double Dividend: A Reader’s Guide. International Tax and Public Finance, 2(2), 157-183. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00877494
Goulder, L. H., & Hafstead, M. (2019). Tax Reform and Environmental Policy: Options for Recycling Revenue from a Tax on Carbon Dioxide. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 94, 85-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2018.10.008
Goulder, L. H., & Schein, A. (2021). Carbon Taxes vs. Cap and Trade: Theory and Evidence. Journal of Economic Literature, 59(1), 81–130. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20191551
Hassett, K. A., & Metcalf, G. E. (1995). Energy Tax Credits and Residential Conservation Investment: Evidence from Panel Data. Journal of Public Economics, 57(2), 201–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2727(94)01481-u
Hepburn, C., O’Callaghan, B., Stern, N., Stiglitz, J., & Zenghelis, D. (2021). Will COVID-19 Fiscal Recovery Packages Accelerate or Retard Progress on Climate Change? Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 37(S1), S359-S381. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grab019
Hsu, A., Moffat, A. S., & Weinfurter, A. J. (2013). Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict. Science, 341(6151), 1235367. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1235367
Hsu, A., Moffat, A. S., Weinfurter, A. J., Schwartz, J. D., & Schlenker, W. (2013). The Effect of Temperature on Hospital Admissions in Nine California Counties. Climatic Change, 109(1–2), 297–318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-011-0382-7
Keohane, R. O., & Victor, D. G. (2016). Cooperation and Discord in Global Climate Policy. Nature Climate Change, 6(6), 570-575. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2957
Laing, T., Lim, E. G., & Wang, Y. (2020). The Value of Behavioral Science in the Earth Sciences. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(3), 144-153. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0031-5
Martin, R., Muûls, M., de Preux, L. B., & Wagner, U. J. (2019). Industry Compensation under Relocation Risk: A Firm-Level Analysis of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. American Economic Review, 109(12), 4078-4127. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20170712
McFadden, T. (2016). Using Tax Law to Encourage Sustainability: Addressing Environmental Concerns. Journal of Environmental Law, 28(3), 401-418. https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqw020
Metcalf, G. E. (2019). Tax Policy toward Climate Change. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(4), 77-102. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.33.4.77
North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press.
Parry, I. W. H., & Bento, A. M. (2001). Tax Deductions, Environmental Policy, and the “Double Dividend” Hypothesis. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 41(2), 67–84. https://doi.org/10.1006/jeem.2000.1158
Sakai, M., Carattini, S., & Hanaoka, T. (2020). Carbon Pricing and Co-Benefits Analysis: A Review of Methodological Approaches. WIREs Climate Change, 11(6), e676. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.676
Schratzenstaller, M. (2017). EU Taxes: Addressing Sustainability Gaps and Strengthening Sustainability in the EU. European Taxation, 57(5), 184-194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10797-017-9466-1
Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Yale University Press.