Search Results (3)

Blockchain technology is increasingly adopted in supply chains to record product carbon footprints and environmental attributes on tamper-resistant ledgers. By improving the transparency and verifiability of emission-related information for governments, firms and consumers, blockchain reshapes the incentive effects of environmental taxes and subsidies that target emission abatement. This paper presents a government-manufacturer-consumer tripartite game model to analyze the abatement effects of tax and subsidy policies and their differences under heterogeneous consumer demand in a blockchain-driven framework. The results indicate that: (1) Both subsidy and tax policies can facilitate environmental improvement. When consumers’ green preference exceeds a specific threshold $X^{*}/\left(1+\gamma \right)$, the greenness of the tax policy is superior to that of the subsidy policy, and vice versa. (2) Under blockchain technology, tax and subsidy instruments differentially affect the profits of conventional and green manufacturers, shifting profits from high-emission sectors to green sectors. (3) The improvement of consumers’ environmental awareness can gradually reduce the implementation of the policy, urge enterprises to reduce emissions, and improve their profits. Nevertheless, the privacy concerns associated with blockchain technology present a significant obstacle to the effective implementation of carbon emission reduction strategies. Full article

Tax expenditure management is one of the tools for conducting responsible fiscal policy. Unlike direct expenditures, tax expenditures do not consume resources, but allow the achievement of certain social and economic goals. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis of the expediency of using the mechanism of tax expenditures to influence investment activities and the development of priority sectors of the economy. The object of this study was a sample of nine countries of the G-20 group, whose reports provided data on the share of tax expenditures related to investment support and stimulating the development of priority sectors of the economy. The practice of generating reports on tax expenditures is quite common in developed countries, but there are several limitations for cross-country comparison: national characteristics of fiscal elements, and the level of openness and transparency of data on tax expenditures. The scale of using tax expenditures is determined by the multidimensional average method; countries are rated according to the value of the integral indicator. The scale of tax breaks determines the position in the ranking. The effectiveness of using tax breaks is assessed through the coefficient of increase in investment and the coefficient of increase in industrial production. The assessment results show whether economic indicators are outpacing the growth rate of tax benefits and preferences. A study of panel data revealed the average degree of influence of the total amount of tax expenditures on the dynamics of capital investments. The allocation of a target group of tax expenditures related to investment support showed a weak degree of influence on the dynamics of capital investment volumes. The results obtained can be explained by the fact that the allocation of a target group of tax expenditures may not reflect the full range of tax benefits provided to support investments, which is due to the peculiarities of the system of accounting and assessment of tax expenditures in a particular country. In addition, the contribution of tax expenditures may be insignificant if direct forms of support prevail. Full article

Kenya has made many attempts to regulate the production of single-use plastics through partial bans and the imposition of hefty taxes. Whereas government initiatives are crucial to resolving single-use plastic pollution, commitments made by youths can be an important part of the solution. Yet, youths are habituated to using single-use plastics without understanding fully their negative impacts. Understanding the knowledge and attitudes of youths is of the utmost importance in the effort to turn the tide against plastic pollution. This study set out to investigate knowledge and attitudes towards single-use plastics among youths in Nairobi, Kenya. This was a mixed study approach, where both qualitative and quantitative data were derived. The results showed that youths perceive single-use plastics as a serious environmental and health issue. Most respondents expressed willingness to switch to reusable alternatives if provided with financial incentives. In addition, the results showed stronger support for enhanced awareness campaigns and plastic recycling infrastructure. Social media was the most preferred channel to disseminate plastic pollution messaging among the youth. These findings are important in policy development for intensifying awareness and targeting a range of communication and financial support to reduce single-use plastic pollution. Full article