Due to globalization and digitalization, countries have lost power relative to international markets and companies. The European Union provides a necessary countervailing power to this. This leads to the apparent paradox that more European cooperation simultaneously leads to more national… Read More
Employing people is too expensive and polluting the environment too cheap. A green tax shift is needed and is most effective when applied at the production side of the economy. Already in the early nineties a broad Dutch coalition of unions, consumer organisations, churches and environmental NGO’s, advocated for a tax shift from labour to energy use. In 1996 the Dutch government introduced a substantial energy tax. My study from 1991 still gives a good insight in the advantages and challenges (English summary). It is urgent to take further steps. Taxing inputs for inductries creates improvements in the entire supply chain. Using the revenues from environmental taxes to reduce employers premiums on labor, will make labor intensive services affordable. Main beneficiaries are schools, care and police. Together with the Dutch CSR organization, I wrote a plea for this social and green tax shift.
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