2012年-IMF国际货币组织全球_Environmental_Tax_Reform_Principles_from_Theory_and_Practice_to_Date_39页_1mb

Environmental Tax Reform: Principles from Theory and Practice to Date

Core Content

This IMF Working Paper, authored by Dirk Heine, John Norregaard, and Ian W.H. Parry, outlines the principles of designing effective environmental taxes and evaluates the current systems in Germany, Sweden, Turkey, and Vietnam. The paper emphasizes the importance of using economic theory to guide tax reform and highlights the role of environmental taxes in addressing various externalities.

Main Views and Key Information

I. Introduction

• The paper provides a framework for designing environmental taxes based on economic principles.
• Environmental tax reform is gaining traction globally, including in emerging and developing countries.
• The IMF is increasing its technical assistance in this area.
• Environmental taxes are recommended as a natural instrument to incorporate environmental costs into prices, especially for emissions and non-market activities like driving.
• Key challenges include accurate measurement of environmental damages, distributional impacts, and competitiveness.

II. Principles of Environmental Tax Design

A. Tax Design in a (Hypothetical) Economy with a Single Externality Distortion

• According to the Pigouvian framework, environmental taxes should equal marginal damages and be levied at the source of emissions.
• Corrective taxes aim to internalize the cost of pollution and achieve the optimal level of emissions reduction.
• The marginal benefit curve for CO₂ is relatively flat due to the long-term nature of climate damages.
• For major air pollutants, the marginal benefit curve is also relatively flat over a range, as health effects increase proportionally with pollution levels.

B. Multiple-Externality Situations

• Environmental taxes must account for multiple externalities, such as local pollution, congestion, and accident risks.
• Motor fuel taxes should reflect these multiple externalities, especially congestion and accident externalities.
• These externalities should be adjusted per unit of fuel, taking into account fuel economy.
• Better instruments, such as mileage-based taxes, are recommended for more precise targeting of vehicle-related externalities.

C. Other Pre-Existing Distortions

• The paper discusses how pre-existing market distortions, such as energy subsidies and technology market failures, affect the design and effectiveness of environmental taxes.
• It highlights the need for complementary policies to address these distortions.
• Technology-related market failures are more efficiently handled through targeted technology instruments rather than raising environmental taxes above marginal damages.

III. Environmental Tax Systems and Reforms: The Case of Germany, Sweden, Turkey, and Vietnam

• The analysis of these countries shows significant potential for reform.
• Harmonizing tax rates across fuels and end-users based on pollution content is recommended.
• Reducing taxes on redundant aspects, such as vehicle ownership and electricity use, when more targeted taxes are in place, is important.
• Revenue from environmental taxes should be used to reduce other distortionary taxes and improve overall fiscal efficiency.

Key Recommendations

• Upstream Taxes: Environmental taxes should be levied at the point where fossil fuels enter the economy (e.g., at the refinery or mine level), and refunds should be given for emissions captured at downstream facilities.
• Mileage-Based Taxes: Until mileage-based taxes are widely introduced, motor fuel taxes should consider congestion and accident externalities.
• Revenue Use: Environmental tax revenues should be used to reduce other taxes, particularly those that are distortionary.
• Avoiding Notches: Discrete tax notches (e.g., based on CO₂ per km) are inefficient and should be avoided. A "feebate" system is suggested to improve efficiency.
• Uniform Taxation: Taxes should be uniform across fuels and end-users for the same pollution content, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
• Administrative Feasibility: Upstream taxation is more administratively feasible than downstream taxation, as it reduces the number of collection points and increases coverage.

Conclusion

• Environmental tax reform has substantial potential for improvement in terms of efficiency and fairness.
• The paper calls for more precise measurement of local pollution damages and further research into the empirical estimation of these externalities.
• The use of a uniform tax system that accounts for all relevant externalities is advocated, with targeted adjustments to address specific issues like congestion and accident risks.