Introduction
Ensuring environmental safety is an essential measure that is particularly important in the face of global warming and the pollution of the air due to harmful emissions. Appropriate policies aimed at requiring enterprises to organize production so as to limit carbon emissions would require controls on the volume of emissions. Government initiatives in this area provide for the monitoring of corporations’ potentially dangerous activities and the taxation of those that exceed the norm of carbon dioxide produced. The relevance of the emissions control program lies in its benefits to the economy due to payments made to the budget, as well as in the positive effect of reducing the level of environmental pollution.
Relevance of the Implemented Strategies
The possibilities of this policy are significant. For instance, Field and Field claim that “the essence of the charge approach is to provide an incentive for the polluters themselves to find the best way to reduce emissions” (223). In other words, the state does not use all available resources to prevent air pollution, but acts as an independent board, guiding and regulating businesses’ activities. This approach makes it possible to monitor the level of expenditures in the search for alternative sources to minimize the consequences of pollution.
It should also be noted that carbon-reducation programs like this have gained popularity in recent years. According to Field and Field, from an economic perspective, the effectiveness of this policy is significant, since it makes it possible to minimize costs and at the same time assist in controlling emissions (260). Moreover, according to Stern, economic analysis should take one of the key roles in the process of assessing the utility of a particular practice (2). Therefore, the relevance of this strategy is grounded not only in a practical perspective but also in a financial point of view.
Positive Effect on the Environment
One of the policy’s aspects is emissions trading. This has a positive impact on the budget, as according to Field and Field, it can “offer substantial improvements over traditional approaches in terms of cost-effectiveness” (286). Moreover, this approach to the organization of emissions control can significantly improve the environmental situation. As Delarue and Van den Bergh note, reducing the level of carbon emissions into the atmosphere allows for partially slowing the process of global warming and preventing the emergence of holes in the ozone layer (37). In turn, it is a step towards correcting the current pollution situation.
Sometimes criticism of the policy has been expressed. Jorgenson et al. note that some skeptical government officials say it is impossible to control the amount of emissions from a particular company (127). Nevertheless, as practice shows, changes are occurring for the better. Relevant work is being conducted to calculate a specific volume of harmful gases, and in case this amount is exceeded, sanctions are applied. Therefore, pursuing this course is likely to be successful and it should be implemented.
Conclusion
The importance of the emission control policy under consideration is based on its ability to monitor the level of pollution in the country and to replenish the budget through fines. The relevance of this strategy is determined both from an economic and ecological point of view. Despite skepticism, the provisions of the policy are useful, and it will have a positive effect on the environment. The development of the program is an important condition for correcting the current situation with pollution.
Works Cited
Delarue, Erik, and Kenneth Van den Bergh. “Carbon Mitigation in the Electric Power Sector under Cap-and-Trade and Renewables Policies.” Energy Policy, vol. 92, 2016, pp. 34-44.
Field, Barry C., and Martha K. Field. Environmental Economics: An Introduction. 7th ed., McGraw-Hill Education, 2017.
Jorgenson, Dale W., et al. “Carbon Taxes and Fiscal Reform in the United States.” National Tax Journal, vol. 68, no. 1, 2015, pp. 121-137.
Stern, Nicholas. “The Economics of Climate Change.” American Economic Review, vol. 98, no. 2, 2008, pp. 1-37.