Читать книгу Circular Economy For Dummies - Eric Corey Freed - Страница 70

Eventually, every company will be held responsible for the climate impacts they produce. Many countries have been debating the use of a carbon tax to encourage companies to curb their emissions.

A carbon tax is a fee ($ per ton emitted) on the carbon content of fossil fuels, and those taxes are used to pay for carbon capturing activities (such as planting forests). More than ten carbon pricing bills are in the congressional pipeline in the United States alone, with more expected.

For companies engaging in any heavily polluting industries, such as energy intensive mining or fossil fuel extraction, a carbon tax is a huge potential liability. This is why a large coal company like Koch Industries reportedly spent $11 million in 2019 lobbying Congress to block any legislation that would put a price on carbon emissions.

Implementing a price on emissions, such as a carbon tax, will further drive companies to transition to a circular approach.