Carbon tax Acarbon tax is a tax levied on the carbon content of fuels."'It is a form of carbon pricing. Carbon is present in every hydrocarbon fuel (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) and converted tocarbon dioxide(COz) and other products when combusted. In contrast, non- combustion energy sources—wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower, and nuclear—do not convert hydrocarbons to CO». CO) is a heat-trapping "greenhouse" gas"! which represents a negative externality on the climate ‘system (see scientific opinion on global warming).'7!""! Since greenhouse gas emissions caused by the combustion of fossil fuels are closely related to the carbon content of the respective fuels, a tax on these emissions can be levied by taxing the carbon content of fossil fuels at any point in the product cycle of the fuel. Carbon tax offers social and economic benefits." It is a tax that increases revenue without significantly altering the economy while simultaneously promoting objectives of climate change policy.!”! The objective of a carbon tax is to reduce the harmful and unfavorable levels of carbon dioxide emissions, thereby decelerating climate change and its negative effects on the environment and human health.!*) Carbon taxes offer a potentially cost-effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions." From an economic perspective, carbon taxes are a type of Pigovian tax.""! They help to address the problem of emitters of greenhouse gases not facing the full social cost of their actions. Carbon taxes can be a regressive tax, in that they may directly or indirectly affect low- income groups disproportionately. The regressive impact of carbon taxes could be addressed by using tax revenues to favour low-income groups.!""! A number of countries have implemented carbon taxes or energy taxes that are related to carbon content.""7! Most environmentally related taxes with implications for greenhouse gas emissions in OECD countries are levied on energy products and motor vehicles, rather than on CO 2 emissions directly. eB A coal-fired power plant in Luchegorsk, Russia. A carbon tax would tax the CO2 emitted from the power station.Opposition to increased environmental regulation such as carbon taxes often centers on concems that firms might relocate and/or people might lose their jobs. It has been argued, however, that carbon taxes are more efficient than direct regulation and may even lead to higher employment (see footnotes).'"7! Many large users of carbon resources in electricity generation, such as the United States, Russia, and China, have resisted carbon taxation.''"!""!In some cases, countries such as China, have resisted after questioning which countries have the most responsibility.!" Is a carbon tax a good idea? A carbon tax is a good idea — so long as it doesn't come with industry handouts. ... A earbon tax is aimed at making the buming of fossil fuels — which releases carbon — more expensive, and thus directing consumer behavior away fromearbon-spewing energy and driving investment toward earbon-free alternatives. Oct |2, 2018 ‘Why carbon tax is better than cap and trade? Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade: What's a Better Policy to Cut Emissions? ... A carbon tax directly establishes a price on greenhouse gas emissions—so companies are charged a dollar amount for every ton of emissions they produce—whereas a cap-and-trade program issues a set number of emissions “allowances” each year.Mar I. 2016