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Energy Taxation and Competitiveness: Special Provisions for Business in Germany's Environmental Tax Reform

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  • Michael Kohlhaas

Abstract

Environmental taxation very often comprises special provisions for parts of the business sector in order to attenuate effects on competitiveness of emissionintensive activities. This paper discusses motives, alternative designs and criteria for the evaluation of such safeguards and analyzes if such provisions can reconcile environmental and economicobjectives. It looks at theoretical aspects as well as practical issues of implementation and evaluates special provisionsthat have been discussed or implemented in the framework of the environmental tax reform (ETR) introduced in Germany in 1999. This reform is characterized by two features: Firstly, it aims at the reduction of greenhouse gases and thus at a global environmental problem. Secondly, environmental taxes are embedded in the framework of a revenue-neutral tax reform, where the additional tax revenue is recycled to the tax payers by a reduction of social security contributions. The reform should finance "non-insurance-related benefits" of the pension insurance system in order to reduce labor costs and spur employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Kohlhaas, 2003. "Energy Taxation and Competitiveness: Special Provisions for Business in Germany's Environmental Tax Reform," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 349, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
  • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp349
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. William J. Baumol & Wallace E. Oates, 1971. "The Use of Standards and Prices for Protection of the Environment," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Peter Bohm & Allen V. Kneese (ed.), The Economics of Environment, pages 53-65, Palgrave Macmillan.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tilmann Rave & Ursula Triebswetter & Johann Wackerbauer, 2013. "Koordination von Innovations-, Energie- und Umweltpolitik," ifo Forschungsberichte, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 61.
    2. Claudia Kettner-Marx & Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig, 2018. "Carbon Taxes from an Economic Perspective," WIFO Working Papers 554, WIFO.
    3. Daniela Kletzan & Angela Köppl & Kurt Kratena, 2008. "Ziele und Optionen der Steuerreform: Optionen für eine Ökologisierung des österreichischen Steuersystems," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 33944.
    4. Angela Köppl & Gregor Thenius & Stefan Schleicher, 2008. "Impacts of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Insights from the First Trading Period with a Focus on Competitiveness Issues," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 33963.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    environmental taxes; competitiveness; tax shift.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy

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