Title: The impact of regional emissions taxes: the Spanish case

Authors: Jaime Vallés-Giménez; Juan A. Román-Aso

Addresses: Economic Structure Department, University of Zaragoza, Gran Via 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain ' Economic Structure Department, University of Zaragoza, Gran Via 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain

Abstract: The internalisation of environmental damage associated with greenhouse gases is crucial to protect natural resources and human health. In this paper, we present an empirical model addressed to examine whether several variables impact on regional pollution in Spain, with emphasis on the instruments implemented to mitigate the environmental damage. We can further distinguish among private or public instruments. The former refers to the business expenditure on pollution abatement; the latter includes Pigouvian taxes (national) and the emissions trading system (international). The Spanish pollution taxes are managed at regional tier in response to territorial preferences, but it can also be a source of mobility of production factors among regions, and then, we will analyse the adequacy of this level of government.

Keywords: regional policy; pollution abatement; public sector; Spain; emissions taxes; greenhouse gases; GHG emissions; regional pollution; environmental damage; emissions trading systems; pollution taxes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2016.076960

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2016 Vol.15 No.3, pp.255 - 268

Received: 16 Oct 2014
Accepted: 31 Dec 2015
Published online: 08 Jun 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article