Title of the dissertation: Why do some states have carbon taxes when they do?
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Saima Ahmed
Abstract of the dissertation
The objective of this dissertation is twofold: firstly, to comprehend the conditions that have led some states to adopt carbon taxes as a means of decreasing CO2 emissions, while others have refrained from doing so; and secondly, to ascertain why those countries that did implement carbon taxes chose to do so at a specific time. Since the early 1990s, scientists have been highlighting carbon emissions as the primary contributor to global temperature rise and climate change. Carbon tax is widely considered as one of the most effective methods that states can use to tackle the issue of increasing carbon emissions to alleviate the effects of global warming and climate change. However, it is noteworthy that just 29 out of the 193 states worldwide have implemented carbon taxes. There is significant resistance from both the general populace and the leadership when it comes to the imposition of carbon tax, fearing that it may result in higher living costs, industries facing increased production expenses, the economy losing its comparative advantage, and job cuts, and above all increasing already existent inequality between the rich and poor. The key puzzle is why certain nations have managed to overcome the obstacles and enforce a robust policy such as carbon tax in order to reduce their CO2 emissions. It would be stimulating to identify the key factors which influence the decision to adopt this policy option.