The Taxpayers' Alliance: green taxes in the UK

I've just been reading the Taxpayers' Alliance recent research into green taxes in the UK. Based on the premise that green taxes are needed to correct for the 'social cost' of CO2 and other emissions, the report finds that, in actual fact, green taxes levied in the UK not only compensate for the 'social cost', but on almost every measure, far exceed it.

In simple terms, we are paying more than enough in green taxes for whatever damage is being done to the environment, etc.

The reasonable conclusion to draw from this is that there is therefore no need to impose new green taxes, or to raise existing ones. In fact, going by the figures in the report, we are all due a tax cut.

The report is 33 pages long, and makes for very interesting reading. It covers the main environmental taxes, and in determining the 'social cost', draws across the board from a range of environmental studies. Not at all prolix, very well-written, and definitely worth a read.

You can download it here.