North Macedonia : Environmental Tax Reform Options and Outcomes

This paper aims to contribute to the Government’s plans by highlighting key policy options for reforming the tax system to address environmental concerns. It does this through firstly assessing the existing tax system to understand the incentives a...

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Main Author: World Bank
Format: Policy Note
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/333331623933161040/North-Macedonia-Environmental-Tax-Reform-Options-and-Outcomes
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35862
id okr-10986-35862
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-358622021-06-30T05:10:42Z North Macedonia : Environmental Tax Reform Options and Outcomes World Bank FUEL USE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AIR POLLUTION FUEL TAX SUBSIDIES TAXATION ENVIRONMENTAL TAXATION CLIMATE CHANGE ELECTRICITY TRANSPORT CARBON PRICING ENERGY CONSUMPTION CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION This paper aims to contribute to the Government’s plans by highlighting key policy options for reforming the tax system to address environmental concerns. It does this through firstly assessing the existing tax system to understand the incentives and measures in place in relation to environmental issues. It then outlines key gaps in the tax system, including in relation to the direction of environmental tax policy globally and in the European Union. As part of this analysis, the paper outlines several policy findings, providing suggested enhancements to the existing fiscal framework to improve environmental performance and support green industries. In doing so, the paper draws from the policy principles that underpin a greening of the tax system, to help guide policy formulation. Indicative impacts of such policy reforms are estimated for key parameters. The paper provides this analysis in the context of the existing policy reforms that are planned and underway, such as the Tax System Reform Strategy (2021-2025), the Strategy for Energy Development of the Republic of North Macedonia until 2040 (October 2019), the Strategy on Environment and Climate Change for the period 2014-2020 (adopted in 2018, developed in 2014), the National Plan for Ambient Air Quality Protection (2012), and the 2017 National Emissions Reduction Plan prepared for commitments under the Energy Community. The paper focuses on the energy sector, specifically on the environmental issues associated with fuel use and how these are influenced by the taxation system. The use of energy, in particular the burning of fossil fuels and fuelwood, is the largest contributor to both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in North Macedonia. These have important effects on the environment, human health, and the economy. Reducing emissions from the energy sector is critical to North Macedonia meeting its emissions reduction target of 51 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, set out in its enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The enhanced NDC along with North Macedonia signing of the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans3, represents a significant shift in climate policy ambition and appetite for carbon pricing. 2021-06-29T16:28:44Z 2021-06-29T16:28:44Z 2021-06 Policy Note http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/333331623933161040/North-Macedonia-Environmental-Tax-Reform-Options-and-Outcomes http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35862 English CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Economic & Sector Work Economic & Sector Work :: Policy Note Europe and Central Asia
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic FUEL USE
ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
AIR POLLUTION
FUEL TAX
SUBSIDIES
TAXATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TAXATION
CLIMATE CHANGE
ELECTRICITY
TRANSPORT
CARBON PRICING
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
spellingShingle FUEL USE
ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
AIR POLLUTION
FUEL TAX
SUBSIDIES
TAXATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TAXATION
CLIMATE CHANGE
ELECTRICITY
TRANSPORT
CARBON PRICING
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
World Bank
North Macedonia : Environmental Tax Reform Options and Outcomes
geographic_facet Europe and Central Asia
description This paper aims to contribute to the Government’s plans by highlighting key policy options for reforming the tax system to address environmental concerns. It does this through firstly assessing the existing tax system to understand the incentives and measures in place in relation to environmental issues. It then outlines key gaps in the tax system, including in relation to the direction of environmental tax policy globally and in the European Union. As part of this analysis, the paper outlines several policy findings, providing suggested enhancements to the existing fiscal framework to improve environmental performance and support green industries. In doing so, the paper draws from the policy principles that underpin a greening of the tax system, to help guide policy formulation. Indicative impacts of such policy reforms are estimated for key parameters. The paper provides this analysis in the context of the existing policy reforms that are planned and underway, such as the Tax System Reform Strategy (2021-2025), the Strategy for Energy Development of the Republic of North Macedonia until 2040 (October 2019), the Strategy on Environment and Climate Change for the period 2014-2020 (adopted in 2018, developed in 2014), the National Plan for Ambient Air Quality Protection (2012), and the 2017 National Emissions Reduction Plan prepared for commitments under the Energy Community. The paper focuses on the energy sector, specifically on the environmental issues associated with fuel use and how these are influenced by the taxation system. The use of energy, in particular the burning of fossil fuels and fuelwood, is the largest contributor to both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in North Macedonia. These have important effects on the environment, human health, and the economy. Reducing emissions from the energy sector is critical to North Macedonia meeting its emissions reduction target of 51 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, set out in its enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The enhanced NDC along with North Macedonia signing of the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans3, represents a significant shift in climate policy ambition and appetite for carbon pricing.
format Policy Note
author World Bank
author_facet World Bank
author_sort World Bank
title North Macedonia : Environmental Tax Reform Options and Outcomes
title_short North Macedonia : Environmental Tax Reform Options and Outcomes
title_full North Macedonia : Environmental Tax Reform Options and Outcomes
title_fullStr North Macedonia : Environmental Tax Reform Options and Outcomes
title_full_unstemmed North Macedonia : Environmental Tax Reform Options and Outcomes
title_sort north macedonia : environmental tax reform options and outcomes
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2021
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/333331623933161040/North-Macedonia-Environmental-Tax-Reform-Options-and-Outcomes
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35862
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