Gradual Introduction of Coercive Instruments in Climate Policy

CRITICAL ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL TAXATION INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES, N. Chalifour, J.E. Milne, H. Ashiabor, K. Deketelaere & L. Kreiser, eds., Oxford University Press, Vol. 5, pp. 53-74, 2008

26 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2006 Last revised: 18 Sep 2009

See all articles by Philippe Thalmann

Philippe Thalmann

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne - Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Andrea Baranzini

University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland - Geneva School of Business Administration

Date Written: October 1, 2006

Abstract

This paper is about acceptance building, i.e. devising a mechanism for the gradual preparation of the citizenship and the economy in order to implement a carbon tax. It draws from the experiences made in Switzerland, where voluntary approaches were combined with a CO2 tax. More generally, this paper is about the dynamics of climate policy in a democracy, where law making is always participatory. It analyses the genesis of the Swiss CO2 Law, in particular the history of an earlier aborted proposal, to show the setting up of a peculiar strategic approach that spawned an array of voluntary approaches. The approach seemed about to succeed in creating sufficient support for the carbon tax. However, a last minute proposal of a private levy on fuel prices upset everything and seems about to fully undermine the CO2 Law. We interpret what went wrong and attempt to draw general lessons for climate policy.

Keywords: Climate policy, climate change, economic instruments, voluntary approaches, carbon tax, CO2 tax, acceptability

JEL Classification: H2, H3, Q2, Q4

Suggested Citation

Thalmann, Philippe and Baranzini, Andrea, Gradual Introduction of Coercive Instruments in Climate Policy (October 1, 2006). CRITICAL ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL TAXATION INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES, N. Chalifour, J.E. Milne, H. Ashiabor, K. Deketelaere & L. Kreiser, eds., Oxford University Press, Vol. 5, pp. 53-74, 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=936578

Philippe Thalmann

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne - Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) ( email )

EPFL ENAC IA LEURE
Station 16
Lausanne, CH-1015
Switzerland
+41 21 693 7321 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://people.epfl.ch/philippe.thalmann

Andrea Baranzini (Contact Author)

University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland - Geneva School of Business Administration ( email )

CH-1227 Geneva
Switzerland
+41-22-388 1718 (Phone)
+41-22-388 1701 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://campus.hesge.ch/baranzia/

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