CIOT/IFS Online Debate: What is the role of tax in getting to net zero?

The UK is committed to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions that arise from UK-based activities to zero by 2050. The EU and other countries have set similar targets, and more will be encouraged to do so at COP26 in Glasgow in a few weeks time. Achieving these targets will require large shifts away from emissions-intensive activity from both consumers and producers.

• How far can tax and other carbon pricing mechanisms drive this behavioural change?
• Which works better – taxing carbon emissions, or ‘cap and trade’ schemes?
• Is the UK’s current mix of green policies effective, or should we aspire to a unified carbon tax?
• How can we ensure the impact of green taxes is fair?
• And to avoid importing emissions, do we need a carbon border adjustment mechanism?

These are some of the questions our expert panel will be considering as, 10 days ahead of COP26, we debate the role of tax in tackling climate change.

Our panel will include:

Alex Bowen - Special Adviser to the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, and formerly senior economic adviser to the 2006 Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change

Femke Groothuis - Co-Founder and President of the Ex’tax Project, a Dutch think tank focused on a shift from taxing labour to taxing resource use and pollution

Peter Levell - Associate Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and co-author of ‘Tax policies to help achieve net zero carbon emissions’ published earlier this month

Chris Morgan – Head of Global Responsible Tax Programme at KPMG International

Chair: Paul Johnson – Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and a member of the UK Government’s Climate Change Committee

This online event is free to join and open to all with an interest in the topic. The format for this event will be short speeches / presentations from panellists followed by a discussion, with the opportunity for the audience members to make comments and ask questions.

For more information on the event, please click here.

If you have colleagues or friends who might also enjoy the discussion do please tell them about it.

We very much look forward seeing you at the debate!