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The current OECD activity on the distributive effects of environmental policy builds on earlier work undertaken by the Environment Directorate which has mainly focused on the distributive effects of the use of economic instruments, in particular environment-related taxes (see OECD programme on Environmental Policies and Instruments).
This programme widens the scope of analysis by addressing simultaneously the distribution of environmental quality and the distribution of financial impacts, and by adopting a broad perspective when looking at the distribution of financial effects of environmental policy and not just considering economic instruments.
In order to provide some focus, this programme concentrates on the distributive effects on households according to economic status (e.g. income) which is only one criterion by which to examine distributional questions.
In the context of this activity, an international workshop was held on the Distribution of Benefits and Costs of Environmental Policies on 4-5 March 2003. The objectives of this international workshop bringing together experts and policymakers were to provide conceptual frameworks and empirical evidence to better understand the disparities in the distributive effects (environmental and financial) of environmental policies; and to analyse policy implications.
A Publication building on the proceedings of this workshop and presenting the mains finding of this work is now available.
This publication is a milestone in the analysis of the distributional impacts of environmental policy, building upon existing literature to simultaneously examine disparities in the distribution of environmental impacts and in the distribution of financial effects amongst households.
An Executive Summary of the publication is also downloadable as well as a Policy Brief presenting the OECD work on the Social Dimension of Environmental Policy. A French version of the Policy Brief is also available.
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