How to Design Environmentally Beneficial Tax Incentives
Angela Köppl and
Margit Schratzenstaller | 4 March 2021
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Carbon Tax,
Climate Change,
Tax Incentives
The fight against climate change requires effective economic policy instruments. In addition to environmental taxes, such as a carbon tax, environmentally beneficial tax incentives that favour less polluting consumption and investment activities can be used to promote climate-friendly behaviour. In search of governments around the
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The Case for Climate Objectives in Central Banks’ Targeted Refinancing Operations
Chiara Colesanti Senni | 12 February 2021
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Central Banks,
Climate Risk,
Policy Coherence,
Targeted Refinancing Lines
Central banks are making increasing use of targeted refinancing operations to pursue their mandates. However, so far none of them, with a few exceptions in developing economies, has aligned its targeting with the objective of a transition to a low-carbon economy. This must change. Refinancing
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Avoiding a Household Debt Crisis with a Targeted Policy Response
Gudrun Johnsen | 8 January 2021
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Covid-19,
Debt,
Income Tax,
Unemployment
The economic effect of the Covid-19 pandemic varies highly across industrial sectors, education levels and income groups, adding further to inequality across the globe. This calls for highly targeted policy responses for the sake of fiscal prudence and to avoid further economic and financial hardship
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COVID-19 and Inequality: The Urgent Need for Tax Expenditure Reform
Rita de la Feria and
Agustin Redonda | 24 November 2020
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Covid-19,
Inequality,
Tax Expenditures,
Tax Reform
The economic impact of COVID-19 is both unprecedented and far-reaching. There is now little doubt that the pandemic will disproportionally hit the worse-off, hence exacerbating inequality. It is also clear that the pandemic is particularly affecting groups and sectors that were already under significant stress
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Central Banks Must Upgrade Their Risk Management
Pierre Monnin | 23 November 2020
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Central Banks,
Climate Change,
Climate Risk
The COVID-19 crisis is a stark reminder of how sharply asset values can shift. Amid a crashing demand for oil and gas, giant energy companies like BP, Chevron and Shell massively wrote down the value of their assets. And those that did not, like Exxon,
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Central Bank Market Neutrality is a Myth
Chiara Colesanti Senni and
Pierre Monnin | 16 October 2020
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Asset Purchases,
Central Banks,
Climate Change,
Foreign Exchange Reserves,
Market Neutrality
Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), this week raised the critical question whether, in view of market failures, market neutrality should remain the guiding principle driving central banks’ policy portfolio management. Her spotlight on market neutrality underscores growing and overdue scrutiny
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Central Banks Must Heed Their Own Warnings on Climate Risks
Alexander Barkawi | 13 October 2020
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Asset Purchases,
Central Banks,
Climate Risk,
Collateral Frameworks
The Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), a group of more than 70 central banks and financial supervisors across the globe, has repeatedly highlighted that climate risks are financial risks. Its members have also continuously put a spotlight on the
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Worthy Goals, Flawed Policies – Why Increasing Tax Deductions for Parents Can be Wrong
Agustin Redonda | 4 September 2020
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Inequality,
Tax Expenditures
Tax expenditures (TEs) – also called tax benefits, tax reliefs, or simply tax subsidies – are used widely to pursue different policy objectives, e.g. boosting innovation and R&D, attracting investment and reducing poverty. Governments worldwide forego significant amounts of revenues through the implementation of these
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COVID-19 and Seizing the Opportunity for Reforming Tax Expenditures in Africa
Agustin Redonda and
Sanjeev Gupta | 27 July 2020
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Covid-19,
Domestic Revenue Mobilization,
Tax Expenditures
The resources needed for financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are estimated at USD 2.5 – 3 trillion per year. According to the IMF, low-income countries (LIC) will need, on average, additional resources amounting to 15.4% of GDP to finance the SDGs in education, health,
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The Transition to a Sustainable Post-COVID Economy Requires an Urgent Shift in Central Bank Risk Management
Pierre Monnin | 10 July 2020
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Central Banks,
Climate Risk,
Covid-19,
Financial Regulation,
Monetary Policy Operations,
Precautionary principle
The COVID-19 crisis is profoundly and durably transforming our economies. So will the transition to a low-carbon economy, which is necessary to contain the environmental crisis ahead of us. Shifting our economic system from its current state to a sustainable post-COVID version entails large and
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