TAX POLICY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: RECONCILING ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTIVENESS AND SOCIAL EQUITY

Keywords: tax policy, sustainable development, environmental taxation, ESG, carbon pricing, social equity, distributional effects, tax incentives, emission reduction

Abstract

The article examines the role of tax policy in achieving sustainable development goals with particular attention to ensuring consistency between environmental effectiveness and social equity. The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of tax policy instruments within the framework of sustainable development. The results indicate that achieving sustainable development requires a coordinated approach to tax policy that combines environmental taxation, targeted redistribution, and effective social support measures. The study has scientific novelty and practical significance, as it applies different research methods to evaluate the interaction between environmental and social objectives in tax policy.

References

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Degirmenci, T., & Yavuz, H. (2024). Environmental taxes, R&D expenditures and renewable energy consumption in EU countries: Are fiscal instruments effective in the expansion of clean energy? Energy, no. 299, 131466. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.131466

Hedegaard, T. F., & Kongshoj, K. (2026). How redistribution can make carbon taxes more acceptable to the public. The Social Science Journal, no. 63 (1), pp. 430-443. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2024.2416774

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Mehta, D., & Prajapati, P. (2024). Asymmetric effect of environment tax and spending on CO2 emissions of European Union. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, no. 31, pp. 27416–27431. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32990-y

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Semet, R. (2024). Coordinating social equity and emissions: Challenges in carbon tax policy. Energy Policy, no. 185, 113954, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113954

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Ullah, S., Luo, R., & Adebayo, T. S. (2023). Dynamics between environmental taxes and ecological sustainability: Evidence from top-seven green economies by novel quantile approaches. Sustainable Development, no. 31, pp. 825–839. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2423

Wolde‑Rufael, Y., & Mulat‑Weldemeskel, E. (2023). Effectiveness of environmental taxes and environmental stringent policies on CO2 emissions: the European experience. Environment, Development and Sustainability, no. 25, pp. 5211–5239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02262-1

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Zhu, N., Zhou, Y., Zhang, S., & Yan, J. (2023). Tax incentives and environmental, social, and governance performance: empirical evidence from China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, no. 30, pp. 54899–54913. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26112-3

Ameer W., Sibt e Ali M., Farooq F., Ayub B., Waqas M. Renewable energy electricity, environmental taxes, and sustainable development: empirical evidence from E7 economies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2024. Vol. 31. P. 46178–46193. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26930-5

Dahmani M. Environmental quality and sustainability: exploring the role of environmental taxes, environment‑related technologies, and R&D expenditure. Environmental Economics and Policy Studies. 2024. Vol. 26. P. 449–477. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10018-023-00387-9

Degirmenci T., Yavuz H. Environmental taxes, R&D expenditures and renewable energy consumption in EU countries: Are fiscal instruments effective in the expansion of clean energy? Energy. 2024. Vol. 299. 131466. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.131466

Hedegaard T. F., Kongshoj K. How redistribution can make carbon taxes more acceptable to the public. The Social Science Journal. 2026. Vol. 63. Issue 1. P. 430-443. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2024.2416774

Köppl A., Schratzenstaller M. Carbon taxation: A review of the empirical literature. Journal of Economic Surveys. 2022. Vol. 37. Issue 4. P. 1353-1388. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12531

Mehta D., Prajapati P. Asymmetric effect of environment tax and spending on CO2 emissions of European Union. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2024. Vol. 31. P. 27416–27431. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32990-y

OECD. Effective Carbon Rates 2025. URL: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/effective-carbon-rates-2025_a5a5d71f-en.html (дата звернення: 24.04.2026).

Okoth E. Effects of Tax Incentives and Subsidies on Economic Growth in Developing Economies. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science. 2023. Vol. VII. Issue VII. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2023.70744

Sebele-Mpofu F. Y., Gomera D., Sibanda B. Tax incentives: A panacea or problem to enhancing economic growth in developing countries. Journal of Accounting, Finance and Auditing Studies. 2022. Vol. 8/2. P. 90-123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32602/jafas.2022.012

Semet R. Coordinating social equity and emissions: Challenges in carbon tax policy. Energy Policy. 2024. Vol. 185. 113954. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113954

Shang B. The Poverty and Distributional Impacts of Carbon Pricing. Review of Environmental Economics and Policy. 2023. Vol. 17. Number 1. DOI: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/723899

Ullah S., Luo R., Adebayo T. S. Dynamics between environmental taxes and ecological sustainability: Evidence from top-seven green economies by novel quantile approaches. Sustainable Development. 2023. Vol. 31. P. 825–839. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2423

Wolde‑Rufael Y., Mulat‑Weldemeskel E. Effectiveness of environmental taxes and environmental stringent policies on CO2 emissions: the European experience. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 2023. Vol. 25. P. 5211–5239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02262-1

World Bank. State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2025. URL: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/state-and-trends-of-carbon-pricing

Zhu N., Zhou Y., Zhang S., Yan J. Tax incentives and environmental, social, and governance performance: empirical evidence from China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2023. Vol. 30. P. 54899–54913. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26112-3

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Published
2026-05-28
How to Cite
Struk, N., & Luchka, O. (2026). TAX POLICY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: RECONCILING ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTIVENESS AND SOCIAL EQUITY. Sustainable Development of Economy, (2 (59), 1143-1150. https://doi.org/10.32782/2308-1988/2026-59-153