Decrease taxes on labour through Carbon Pricing

Last June 27 2019, the most important scientific organisation in the field of environmental and economic resources, the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, met in Manchester to launch a proposal for a carbon tax [1], obtaining, in 24 hours, the adhesion of more than 600 signatories among academics and scientists from all over Europe [2].

In the wake of this proposal, a European citizens’ initiative was recently launched to strengthen the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), increasing both the number of industrial sectors involved and the minimum cost of one ton of CO2. The ETS is an environmental policy instrument, based on market mechanisms, to control the emissions of all the countries engaged in the system. To date, the ETS operates among all EU Member States as well as Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway, limiting emissions of approximately 11,000 firms including energy providers, large factories and airlines, covering 40% of EU greenhouse gas emissions [3].

Carbon pricing is nothing new or particularly ground-breaking. Sweden, for example, adopted carbon pricing policies as early as 1991, and the emission price of one tonne of CO2 in 2018 was $139 [4]. For those interested in learning more about the EAERE proposal and the possible instruments used to combat global warming, please read the post What is Carbon Pricing? by Enerlida Liko on this very blog.

The proposed reform on carbon pricing

But let’s discuss the crux of the initiative, which can be found at stopglobalwarming.eu. There are three pillars in the proposal. First, to increase the minimum price per tonne of CO2 from the current price (which fluctuates between €10 and €35) to €50. Second, to introduce a border adjustment mechanism, so as not to disadvantage companies within the EU, by imposing equivalent duties for all countries outside the EU that are not members of the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The new rules should also include sectors such as international aviation and maritime transport, which are currently excluded from the ETS. Third, and this is the most interesting point in my opinion, new revenues should be used to lower taxes on labour and on the income of the least wealthy, as well as in encouraging investment in energy efficiency and renewables.

European citizens’ initiatives, if they reach one million signatures, are then examined by the European Commission, which in turn converts them into legislative proposals for discussion in Parliament and the Council [5]. Therefore, the details of this initiative, if it reaches the quorum, would then be deliberated further and probably widely amended. In this short article I will thereby focus on the soundness of some of the ideas underlying the initiative, rather than on its particular details.

Many EU Member States are at the forefront of renewables adoption and the EU ETS has often been taken as a model around the World [6]. Unfortunately, however, the climate crisis is getting worse every year and even the European model is not drastic enough in the eyes of an increasingly large part of the scientific community. Despite its limitations, the ETS has great potential and that is why the initiative we are discussing aims to strengthen it rather than reinvent it.

EU ETS Carbon Pricing
Source: 2020 State of the EU-ETS-Report-Long-Presentation

Double dividend

So let us come to the most interesting point of the initiative: the use of revenues from the expansion of the ETS. To date, the funds have been used to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable transport.

percentage
Source: Report from the European Commission to the European Parliament and Council {SWD (2018), 453 final} (figures in billion of euro for the period 2013-2017) 

The novelty of this initiative is that of using the new resources for tax relief for businesses and workers. At a key moment in the history of the European Union, which has just passed two of the darkest quarters in its history, distortionary taxes on the labour market represent a huge burden for the recovery of employment. In addition, the European Commission is desperately looking for solutions to expand its multi-annual budget and use the additional resources in the green economy and the labour market. Finally, using the revenue from this carbon tax to reduce taxation on workers would make it easier to adopt the new measure and would protect the most vulnerable individuals in society by stimulating employment and offsetting a possible loss of purchasing power (due to price increases) with a parallel net wage rise [7][8][9].

In terms of employment, the effect of lower taxation on labour would add to that of investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. A study by Heidi Garriet-Peltier and substantiated by Oxford University has shown that these investments require a larger workforce than those in fossil fuels, with an average of 7.49 jobs generated for every million dollars invested in renewables and 7.7 for every million dollars invested in energy efficiency, compared to just 2.65 new jobs created by a million-dollar fossil fuel investment [10].

Source: Nasa

As The Economist points out in an article on 23 May “The world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices[11], there may be many difficulties in implementing such a proposal: from determining the ecological footprint in terms of CO2 -or equivalent gas- of goods and services provided by each company, to the unpredictable reaction of superpowers such as China and India, which could respond to the border adjustment mechanism with new duties on EU goods and services.

Despite these enormous challenges, I believe that the European Union must continue in its role as a forerunner in the fight against climate change. This European citizens’ initiative can provide a push in the right direction. I invite you to read it and share it, together we can still change the course. 

Giovanni Sgaravatti


References

[1] Economists’ Statement on Carbon Pricing – EAERE https://www.eaere.org/policy/economy-carbon-markets/eu-economists-statement-on-carbon-pricing/

[2] EU economists call for carbon taxes to hit earlier net zero goal https://www.ft.com/content/137b9da8-99c4-11e9-8cfb-30c211dcd229

[3] EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) | Climate Action https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en

[4] State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2018

[5] How it works | European citizens’ initiative – portal https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/how-it-works_en

[6] The EU ETS: The Pioneer—Main Purpose, Structure and Features https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301345008_The_EU_ETS_The_Pioneer-Main_Purpose_Structure_and_Features

[7] Environmentally motivated energy taxes in Scandinavian countries http://www.ees.uni.opole.pl/content/03_10/ees_10_3_fulltext_01.pdf

[8] OECD Environmental Performance Reviews – Germany http://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/50418430.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3iiDvRIn6sfpXR4QnirK1va6O83mweMu-au2KNDlgJbfLeNuUkQA9orAM

[9] Environmental Fiscal Reform in Developing, Emerging and Transition Economies: Progress & Prospects http://www.worldecotax.org/downloads/info/documentation_gtz-Workshop.pdf

[10] Working Paper No. 20-02 Hepburn, O’Callaghan, Stern, Stiglitz and  Zenghelis Working Paper No. 20-02 and

[11] https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/05/23/the-world-urgently-needs-to-expand-its-use-of-carbon-prices

To read more on the topic

Read More – Stop Global Warming (European Citizen Initiative on Carbon Pricing)

Economists’ Statement on Carbon Pricing – EAERE

Trust in the Single Market? The case of the EU Emissions Trading System

EU economists call for carbon taxes to hit earlier net zero goal (28 June, Financial Times)

The world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices (23rd of May, The Economists)

Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change?Cameron Hepburn, Brian O’Callaghan, Nicholas Stern, Joseph Stiglitz and Dimitri Zenghelis Forthcoming in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy 36(S1) 4 May 2020 Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment | Working Paper No. 20-02 ISSN 2732-4214 (Online)

http://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/50418430.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3iiDvRIn6sfpXR4QnirK1va6O83mweMu-au2KNDlgJbfLeNuUkQA9orAM

http://www.ees.uni.opole.pl/content/03_10/ees_10_3_fulltext_01.pdf

http://www.worldecotax.org/downloads/info/documentation_gtz-Workshop.pdf

Diminuer les impôts avec une taxe carbone

Le 27 juin 2019, à Manchester, la plus grande organisation scientifique dans les domaines de l’environnement et des ressources économiques, le « European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists », a lancé une proposition de taxe carbone [1] laquelle a obtenu 600 signatures de professeurs et scientifiques de toute l’Europe en seulement 24 heures [2].   

Dans le sillage de cette proposition, une initiative citoyenne européenne a été lancée ces derniers jours pour renforcer le système d’échange de quotas d’émission (ETS) de l’Union Européenne, obtiennent à la fois en l’augmentant le coût minimum des émissions et en l’entendant à plus de secteurs industriels. L’ETS est un instrument de politique environnementale, basé sur des mécanismes de marché, qui vise à contrôler les émissions des pays adhérents. À ce jour, le système ETS fonctionne dans tous les États membres ainsi qu’au Liechtenstein, Islande et Norvège. Il permet de limiter les émissions d’environ 11 000 fournisseurs d’énergie, grandes installations industrielles et compagnies aériennes, et couvre 45% des émissions de gaz à effet de serre de l’UE [3].

La tarification du carbone n’a rien de nouveau ni de particulièrement innovateur. La Suède, par exemple, a adopté des politiques de ce type en 1991 : le prix d’une tonne de CO2 en 2018 était $139 [4]. Pour ceux qui aimeraient en savoir plus sur la proposition de l’EAERE et sur les possibles instruments utilisés dans le combat contre le réchauffement climatique je vous invite à lire l’article Qu’est-Ce Que La Tarification Du Carbone Écrit par Enerlida Liko pour Jeune Europe

La réforme proposée

Mais venons-en au texte de l’initiative de ces derniers jours, qui peut être consulté sur stopglobalwarming.eu. Fondamentalement, la proposition a trois objectifs. Premièrement, augmenter le prix minimum par tonne de CO2 à 50 euros (actuellement, ce prix fluctue entre 10 et 35 euros). Deuxièmement, introduire un mécanisme d’ajustement aux frontières afin de ne pas désavantager les entreprises au sein de l’UE, en imposant des droits équivalents à tous les pays extérieurs à l’UE qui ne sont pas membres du système d’échange de quotas d’émission. Les nouvelles règles devraient également inclure des secteurs tels que l’aviation internationale et le transport maritime, qui sont actuellement exclus du ETS. Troisièmement, et c’est le point le plus intéressant à mes yeux, les recettes devraient être investies dans la réduction des impôts sur le travail, ainsi que dans l’encouragement des investissements dans les secteurs des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique.

Les initiatives des citoyens européens, si elles obtiennent un million de signatures, sont examinées par la Commission Européenne qui se charge de les transformer en propositions législatives à présenter au Parlement et au Conseil [5]. Les détails de cette initiative, si elle obtient le quorum, seraient donc très probablement profondément modifiés. Dans ce brief article je me limiterai à décrire les idées de l’initiative, pas les détails particuliers.

De nombreux États membres de l’UE sont à l’avant-garde de l’adoption des énergies renouvelables et l’ETS a souvent été pris comme modèle dans le monde entier [6]. Mais malheureusement, la crise climatique s’aggrave chaque année et même le modèle européen est insuffisant aux yeux d’une partie de plus en plus importante de la communauté scientifique. Malgré ses limites, l’ETS a un grand potentiel et c’est pour ça que l’initiative dont nous parlons vise à le renforcer plutôt qu’à le réinventer.

Double dividende

Venons-en donc au point le plus intéressant (à mon avis) de l’initiative, l’utilisation des recours qui viennent du renforcement de l’ETS. Jusqu’à maintenant, les recours ont été utilisés pour la promotion des énergies renouvelables, l’efficacité énergétique et le transport durable.

Source : Report from the European Commission to the European Parliament and Council {SWD (2018), 453 final} (chiffres en milliards d’euros, 2013-2017) 

L’aspect le plus intéressant de cette initiative est qu’elle propose d’utiliser les nouvelles ressources pour baisser les impôts des entreprises et des travailleurs, et c’est là que réside la grande nouveauté. À un moment clé de l’histoire de l’Union européenne, qui se trouve dans l’obligation de repartir après deux des trimestres les plus noirs de son histoire, les taxes sur le marché du travail représentent une charge énorme pour la reprise de l’emploi. En outre, la Commission Européenne cherche désespérément des solutions fiscales afin d’agrandir son budget pluriannuel et d’utiliser les ressources supplémentaires dans l’économie verte et sur le marché du travail. Enfin, l’utilisation des recettes de cette taxe carbone pour réduire la fiscalité du travail faciliterait l’acceptation de la nouvelle mesure et protégerait les secteurs les plus faibles de la société en stimulant l’emploi et en compensant une éventuelle perte de pouvoir d’achat (due à la hausse des prix) par une augmentation des salaires nets [7][8][9].

En termes d’occupation, l’effet d’une légère imposition sur le travail irait s’ajouter à ceux obtenus grâce aux investissements dans les énergies renouvelables et l’efficacité énergétique. En fait, une étude de l’Université d’Oxford a démontré que ces types d’investissements demandent une main-d’œuvre supérieure à celle des investissements dans les énergies fossiles. Ils ont calculé que pour chaque million de dollars investit dans les énergies renouvelables ou l’amélioration énergétique, se forment 7,49 et 7,7 nouveaux contrats à durée indéterminée (respectivement), contre seulement 2,65 pour les investissements d’un million de dollar dans les combustibles fossiles [10].       

Source: Nasa

Comme le souligne The Economist dans son article du 23 mai “The world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices” la mise en œuvre d’une telle proposition poserait de nombreuses difficultés. Pour exemple il serait très difficile de déterminer l’empreinte écologique en termes de CO2 – ou d’équivalent gaz – des biens et services fournis par chaque entreprise, ou encore, la réaction imprévisible de superpuissances telles que la Chine et l’Inde, qui pourraient répondre aux mécanismes d’ajustement aux frontières par de nouveaux tarifs sur les marchandises de l’UE.

Malgré ces défis, je crois que l’Union Européenne devrait continuer à jouer son rôle de précurseur dans la lutte contre le changement climatique. Cette initiative des citoyens européens peut donner une poussée dans la bonne direction. Je vous invite à la lire et à la partager, ensemble nous pouvons encore changer de cap.

Giovanni Sgaravatti


[1] Economists’ Statement on Carbon Pricing – EAERE

[2] EU economists call for carbon taxes to hit earlier net zero goal

[3] EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) | Climate Action)

[4] State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2018).

[5] How it works | European citizens’ initiative – portal

[6] The EU ETS: The Pioneer—Main Purpose, Structure and Features

[7] Environmentally motivated energy taxes in Scandinavian countries

[8] OECD Environmental Performance Reviews – Germany

[9] Environmental Fiscal Reform in Developing, Emerging and Transition Economies: Progress & Prospects

[10] Working Paper No. 20-02, Hepburn, O’Callaghan, Stern, Stiglitz and Zenghelis

Bibliographie 

Read More – Stop Global Warming (European Citizen Initiative on Carbon Pricing)

Economists’ Statement on Carbon Pricing – EAERE 

Trust in the Single Market? The case of the EU Emissions Trading System

EU economists call for carbon taxes to hit earlier net zero goal (28 June, Financial Times)

The world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices (23rd of May, The Economists)

Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change? Cameron Hepburn, Brian O’Callaghan, Nicholas Stern, Joseph Stiglitz and Dimitri Zenghelis Forthcoming in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy 36(S1) 4 May 2020 Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment | Working Paper No. 20-02 ISSN 2732-4214 (Online)

http://www.oecd.org/env/countryreviews/50418430.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3iiDvRIn6sfpXR4QnirK1va6O83mweMu-au2KNDlgJbfLeNuUkQA9orAM

http://www.ees.uni.opole.pl/content/03_10/ees_10_3_fulltext_01.pdf

http://www.worldecotax.org/downloads/info/documentation_gtz-Workshop.pdf

Detassare il lavoro tassando la CO2

Lo scorso 27 Giugno 2019, una delle più importanti organizzazioni scientifiche in ambito ambientale e di risorse economiche, la European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, lanciava a Manchester una proposta di carbon tax [1], ottenendo, in 24 ore, l’adesione di più di 600 firmatari tra accademici e ricercatori di tutta Europa [2].

Sulla scia di tale proposta, in questi giorni è stata indetta un’iniziativa dei cittadini europei per potenziare il sistema di scambio di emissioni (ETS) dell’Unione Europea, aumentando sia la platea dei settori industriali sia il costo minimo di emissione. L’ETS è uno strumento di politica ambientale, basato su meccanismi di mercato, atto a controllare le emissioni dei paesi aderenti. Ad oggi il sistema di ETS opera in tutti gli Stati membri oltre che in Liechtenstein, Islanda e Norvegia, limitando le emissioni di circa 11 mila tra provider energetici, grossi impianti industriali e aerolinee, di fatto coprendo il 45% delle emissioni di gas a effetto serra dell’UE [3].

Il carbon pricing non è nulla di nuovo né di particolarmente innovativo. La Svezia per esempio adottò politiche di carbon pricing già nel 1991, e il prezzo di emissione di una tonnellata di CO2 nel 2018 corrispondeva a $139 [4]. Per chi fosse interessato ad approfondire la proposta dell’EAERE e i possibili strumenti utilizzati nella lotta al surriscaldamento globale, vi invito a leggere l’articolo “Che cos’è il Carbon Pricing?” di Enerlida Liko qui su Jeune Europe.

La riforma proposta: tassare la CO2, ma come?

Ma veniamo al testo dell’iniziativa, che si può reperire al sito stopglobalwarming.eu. Fondamentalmente gli obiettivi della proposta sono tre. Primo, aumentare il prezzo minimo per tonnellata di CO2 da quello attuale (che fluttua tra i 10 e i 35 euro) a 50 euro. Secondo, introdurre un meccanismo di border adjustment per non svantaggiare le imprese all’interno dell’Unione Europea: imponendo dazi equivalenti per tutti i paesi all’infuori dell’Unione che non aderiscono al sistema di scambio di emissioni (ETS). Le nuove regole dovrebbero inoltre includere anche settori come l’aviazione internazionale e il trasporto marittimo, attualmente esclusi dall’ETS. Terzo, e questo è il punto a mio parere più interessante, i ricavi dovrebbero essere investiti per diminuire l’imposizione fiscale sul lavoro e sui redditi più bassi, oltre che per incentivare investimenti per l’efficientamento energetico e le rinnovabili.

Le iniziative dei cittadini europei, nel caso in cui raggiungano il milione di firme, sono poi esaminate dalla Commissione Europea che si incarica a sua volta di trasformarle in delle proposte legislative da discutere nel Parlamento e nel Consiglio [5]. I dettagli dell’iniziativa qui in esame, se dovesse raggiungere il quorum, sarebbero quindi ridiscussi e probabilmente ampiamente modificati. In questo breve articolo mi soffermerò dunque sulla solidità di alcune delle idee sottostanti a questa iniziativa, più che i suoi dettagli particolari.

Molti Stati membri dell’Unione Europea sono all’avanguardia nell’adozione delle rinnovabili e il sistema di ETS dell’UE è stato preso spesso a modello in giro per il mondo [6]. Purtroppo però la crisi climatica si fa di anno in anno più grave e anche il modello europeo risulta insufficiente agli occhi di una parte sempre più consistente della comunità scientifica. Nonostante i suoi limiti, l’ETS ha grandi potenzialità ed è per questo che l’iniziativa di cui stiamo parlando mira a rafforzarlo piuttosto che reinventarlo.

Fonte: 2020 State of the EU-ETS-Report-Long-Presentation

Il doppio beneficio di tassare la CO2

Veniamo quindi al punto a mio parere piu interessante dell’iniziativa, l’utilizzo dei ricavi derivanti dall’ampliamento del sistema di ETS. Fino ad oggi i fondi sono stati utilizzati per incentivare le energie rinnovabili, l’efficientamento energetico e il trasporto sostenibile.

tassare CO2
Fonte: Report from the European Commission to the European Parliament and Council {SWD (2018), 453 final} (cifre in miliardi di euro per il periodo 2013-2017) 

La grande novità di questa proposta è quella di utilizzare le risorse raccolte per una detassazione su imprese e lavoratori. In un momento chiave per la storia dell’Unione Europea, che si ritrova a dover ripartire dopo due dei trimestri più neri della sua storia, le tasse sul mercato del lavoro rappresentano un enorme fardello per la ripresa dell’occupazione. Inoltre, la Commissione Europea è alla disperata ricerca di soluzioni fiscali per poter allargare il suo bilancio pluriennale e utilizzare le risorse aggiuntive nell’economia verde e nel mercato del lavoro. Infine, utilizzare i ricavi del carbon pricing per diminuire la tassazione sul lavoro permetterebbe una più facile accettazione della nuova misura e andrebbe a tutelare le fasce più deboli, incentivando l’occupazione e compensando una possibile perdita del potere di acquisto (per l’aumento dei prezzi) grazie alla crescita dei salari netti [7][8][9].

In termini di occupazione, l’effetto di una minore tassazione sul lavoro andrebbe a sommarsi a quello degli investimenti sulle energie rinnovabili e sull’efficientamento energetico. Difatti, uno studio dell’Università di Oxford ha dimostrato come questi investimenti richiedano una forza lavoro maggiore rispetto a quelli nel fossile, con una media di 7,49 posti di lavoro generati per ogni milione di dollari investito in rinnovabili e 7,7  per ogni milione investito nell’efficientamento energetico, contro 2,65 per investimenti nei combustibili fossili [10].

tassare CO2 potrebbe avere un impatto nella riduzione delle emissioni
Fonte: Nasa

Come evidenzia l’Economist sul suo articolo del 23 Maggio scorso “The world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices[11] le difficoltà di implementare una simile proposta non sarebbero poche: dal determinare l’impronta ecologica in termini di CO2 -o gas equivalenti- di beni e servizi forniti da ogni impresa, fino all’imprevedibile reazione di super potenze come Cina ed India, che potrebbero rispondere al meccanismo di border-adjustment con nuovi dazi sui beni dell’UE.

Nonostante queste grandi sfide, credo che l’Unione Europea debba continuare nel suo ruolo di precursore nella lotta al cambiamento climatico. Questa iniziativa dei cittadini europei può fornire una spinta per andare nella direzione giusta. Vi invito a leggerla e condividerla, insieme possiamo ancora cambiare rotta. 

Giovanni Sgaravatti


Riferimenti

[1] Economists’ Statement on Carbon Pricing – EAERE https://www.eaere.org/policy/economy-carbon-markets/eu-economists-statement-on-carbon-pricing/

[2] EU economists call for carbon taxes to hit earlier net zero goal https://www.ft.com/content/137b9da8-99c4-11e9-8cfb-30c211dcd229

[3] EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) | Climate Action https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en

[4] State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2018

[5] How it works | European citizens’ initiative – portal https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/how-it-works_en

[6] The EU ETS: The Pioneer—Main Purpose, Structure and Features https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301345008_The_EU_ETS_The_Pioneer-Main_Purpose_Structure_and_Features

[7]  Environmentally motivated energy taxes in Scandinavian countries http://www.ees.uni.opole.pl/content/03_10/ees_10_3_fulltext_01.pdf

[8] OECD Environmental Performance Reviews – Germany http://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/50418430.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3iiDvRIn6sfpXR4QnirK1va6O83mweMu-au2KNDlgJbfLeNuUkQA9orAM

[9] Environmental Fiscal Reform in Developing, Emerging and Transition Economies: Progress & Prospects http://www.worldecotax.org/downloads/info/documentation_gtz-Workshop.pdf

[10] Working Paper No. 20-02 Hepburn, O’Callaghan, Stern, Stiglitz and  Zenghelis Working Paper No. 20-02

[11] https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/05/23/the-world-urgently-needs-to-expand-its-use-of-carbon-prices

Per saperne di piú

Read More – Stop Global Warming (European Citizen Initiative on Carbon Pricing)

Economists’ Statement on Carbon Pricing – EAERE

Trust in the Single Market? The case of the EU Emissions Trading System

EU economists call for carbon taxes to hit earlier net zero goal (28 June, Financial Times)

The world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices (23rd of May, The Economists)

Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change?Cameron Hepburn, Brian O’Callaghan, Nicholas Stern, Joseph Stiglitz and Dimitri Zenghelis Forthcoming in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy 36(S1) 4 May 2020 Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment | Working Paper No. 20-02 ISSN 2732-4214 (Online)

http://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/50418430.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3iiDvRIn6sfpXR4QnirK1va6O83mweMu-au2KNDlgJbfLeNuUkQA9orAM

http://www.ees.uni.opole.pl/content/03_10/ees_10_3_fulltext_01.pdf

http://www.worldecotax.org/downloads/info/documentation_gtz-Workshop.pdf

Bajar los impuestos con el Carbon Pricing

El pasado 27 de junio de 2019, en Manchester, la organización científica más importante en el ámbito de medio ambiente y recursos económicos, la European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, lanzó una propuesta de impuesto sobre el carbono[1], obteniendo, en 24 horas, la adhesión de más de 600 signatarios entre académicos y científicos de toda Europa [2].

A raíz de esta propuesta, en los últimos días se lanzó una iniciativa ciudadana europea para fortalecer el Sistema de Comercio de Emisiones de la Unión Europea (ETS), aumentando tanto la audiencia de los sectores industriales como el costo mínimo de las emisiones. El régimen de comercio de derechos de emisión es un instrumento de política ambiental, basado en mecanismos de mercado, para controlar las emisiones de los países que adhieren. Hasta la fecha, el sistema ETS funciona en todos los Estados miembros, así como en Liechtenstein, Islandia y Noruega, limitando las emisiones de unos 11.000 proveedores de energía, grandes plantas industriales y aerolíneas, cubriendo el 45% de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de la UE [3].

El precio del carbono no es nada nuevo o particularmente innovador. Suecia, por ejemplo, adoptó políticas de fijación de precios del carbono en 1991, y el precio de emisión de una tonelada de CO2 en 2018 fue de 139 dólares [4]. Para aquellos interesados en conocer más sobre la propuesta de la EAERE y los posibles instrumentos utilizados en la lucha contra el calentamiento global, por favor, lean el articulo de Ernelida Liko aquí en Jeune Europe “What is Carbon Pricing”

La reforma propuesta: impuestos sobre el consumo de carbono

Ahora pasemos al texto de la iniciativa, que se puede encontrar en stopglobalwarming.eu. Hay tres pilares de la propuesta. En primer lugar, aumentar el precio mínimo por tonelada de CO2 del precio actual (que fluctúa entre 10 y 35 euros) a 50 euros. Segundo, introducir un mecanismo de ajuste en las fronteras, para no perjudicar a las empresas dentro de la UE, imponiendo derechos equivalentes para todos los países fuera de la UE que no son miembros del Sistema de Comercio de Emisiones (ETS). Las nuevas normas deberían incluir también sectores como la aviación y el transporte marítimo internacional, que actualmente están excluidos del ETS. En tercer lugar, y éste es el punto más interesante en mi opinión, los ingresos deberían invertirse en bajar los impuestos sobre el trabajo y sobre los ingresos de los menos ricos, así como en el fomento de la inversión en la eficiencia energética y las energías renovables.

Las iniciativas ciudadanas europeas, si alcanzan el millón de firmas, son examinadas por la Comisión Europea, que a su vez las convierte en propuestas legislativas para su debate en el Parlamento y el Consejo [5]. Entonces los detalles de esta iniciativa, si alcanza el quórum, se volverán a debatir y probablemente se modificarán ampliamente. Por lo tanto, en este breve artículo me centraré en la solidez de algunas de las ideas que subyacen a la iniciativa, más que en sus detalles particulares.

Muchos Estados miembros de la UE están a la vanguardia de la adopción de energías renovables y el régimen de comercio de derechos de emisión de la UE se ha tomado a menudo como modelo en todo el mundo [6]. Sin embargo, lamentablemente, la crisis climática empeora cada año e incluso el modelo europeo es insuficiente a los ojos de una parte cada vez mayor de la comunidad científica. A pesar de sus limitaciones, el ETS tiene un gran potencial y por eso la iniciativa de la que hablamos pretende reforzarlo en lugar de reinventarlo.

EU-ETS impiestos carbón
Fuente: 2020 State of the EU-ETS-Report-Long-Presentation

Doble dividendo

Así que lleguemos al punto que me parece más interesante de la iniciativa, el uso de los ingresos de la expansión del ETS. Hasta la fecha, los fondos se han utilizado para promover la energía renovable, la eficiencia energética y el transporte sostenible.

fuel percentage
Fuente: Report from the European Commission to the European Parliament and Council {SWD (2018), 453 final} (montos en mil millones de euro por el periodo 2013-2017) 

El aspecto de novedad de esta iniciativa es el de utilizar los nuevos recursos para la desgravación fiscal de empresas y trabajadores. En un momento clave de la historia de la Unión Europea, que acaba de pasar dos de los trimestres más difíciles de su historia, los impuestos distorsionantes del mercado laboral representan una enorme carga para la recuperación del empleo. Además, la Comisión Europea está buscando desesperadamente soluciones para ampliar su presupuesto plurianual y utilizar los recursos adicionales en la economía ecológica y el mercado laboral. Por último, la utilización de los ingresos procedentes de este tributo sobre el carbono para reducir los impuestos sobre el trabajo facilitaría la aceptación de la nueva medida y protegería a los sectores más débiles de la sociedad estimulando el empleo y compensando una posible pérdida de poder adquisitivo (debido al aumento de los precios) con un aumento paralelo de los salarios netos [7][8][9].

En cuanto al empleo, el efecto de la reducción de los impuestos sobre el trabajo se sumaría al de las inversiones en energía renovable y eficiencia energética. De hecho, un estudio de la Universidad de Oxford ha demostrado que estas inversiones requieren una mayor mano de obra que las de los combustibles fósiles, con un promedio de 7,49 puestos de trabajo generados por cada millón de dólares invertidos en renovables y 7,7 por cada millón de dólares invertidos en eficiencia energética, en comparación con solamente 2,65 nuevos puestos de trabajo creados por una inversión de un millón de dólares en combustibles fósiles [10].

Fuente: Nasa

Como señala The Economist en su artículo del 23 de mayo “The world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices“, habría muchas dificultades para poner en práctica tal propuesta: desde la determinación de la huella ecológica en términos de CO2 -o gas equivalente- de los bienes y servicios proporcionados por cada empresa, hasta la impredecible reacción de las superpotencias como China y la India, que podrían responder al mecanismo de ajuste fronterizo con nuevos derechos sobre los bienes y servicios de la UE.

A pesar de estos enormes desafíos, creo que la Unión Europea debe continuar en su papel de precursora en la lucha contra el cambio climático. Esta iniciativa ciudadana europea puede dar un impulso en la dirección correcta. Les invito a que la lean y la compartan, juntos todavía podemos cambiar el rumbo. 

Giovanni Sgaravatti

Referencias


[1] Economists’ Statement on Carbon Pricing – EAERE

[2] EU economists call for carbon taxes to hit earlier net zero goal

[3] EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) | Climate Action

[4] State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2018

[5] How it works | European citizens’ initiative – portal

[6] The EU ETS: The Pioneer-Main Purpose, Structure and Features

[7]Environmentally motivated energy taxes in Scandinavian countries

[8] OECD Environmental Performance Reviews – Germany

[9] Environmental Fiscal Reform in Developing, Emerging and Transition Economies: Progress & Prospects

[10] Working Paper No. 20-02, Hepburn, O’Callaghan, Stern, Stiglitz and Zenghelis

Para leer más sobre ese tema

Read More – Stop Global Warming (European Citizen Initiative on Carbon Pricing)

Economists’ Statement on Carbon Pricing – EAERE 

Trust in the Single Market? The case of the EU Emissions Trading System

EU economists call for carbon taxes to hit earlier net zero goal (28 June, Financial Times)

The world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices (23rd of May, The Economists)

Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change? Cameron Hepburn, Brian O’Callaghan, Nicholas Stern, Joseph Stiglitz and Dimitri Zenghelis Forthcoming in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy 36(S1) 4 May 2020 Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment | Working Paper No. 20-02 ISSN 2732-4214 (Online)

http://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/50418430.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3iiDvRIn6sfpXR4QnirK1va6O83mweMu-au2KNDlgJbfLeNuUkQA9orAM

http://www.ees.uni.opole.pl/content/03_10/ees_10_3_fulltext_01.pdf

http://www.worldecotax.org/downloads/info/documentation_gtz-Workshop.pdf

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