Evaluating the effectiveness of environmental taxes: A Case study of carbon pricing in the UK as a tool to reducing Greenhouse Gases Emissions

Izuchukwu Precious OBANI 1, * and Theresa Ojevwe AKROH 2

1 Department of Environmental Management, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
2 Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, College of Education, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
 
Research Article
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2024, 13(02), 372–380.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2024.13.2.2126
Publication history: 
Received 15 September 2024; revised on 02 November 2024; accepted on 04 November 2024
 
Abstract: 
This paper evaluated the effectiveness of environmental taxes and adopted a case study approach which used carbon pricing in the UK as a tool to reducing Greenhouse Gases Emissions. The objectives of the research are to determine the effect of carbon pricing on greenhouse gases emissions in the United Kingdom, evaluate how fossil energy depletion affect greenhouse gases emissions in the United Kingdom and ascertain the effect of total energy consumption from different energy mix on greenhouse gases emissions in the United Kingdom. The paper used an ex post facto research design and the estimated model was estimated using the ordinary least squares regression technique. The data were sourced from different sources and covered the period between 2010 and 2023. The findings of the study revealed that carbon pricing is an effective tool for reducing greenhouse gases emissions in the UK while renewable energy is also a significant tool for reducing greenhouse gases emissions. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the government should consider increasing the carbon price incrementally over time to ensure that it continues to effectively discourage high-emission activities.
 
Keywords: 
Carbon Pricing; Greenhouse gases; Emission; United Kingdom; Environmental Taxes
 
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