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Title Policy for material efficiency-sustainable taxation as a departure from the throwaway society
ID_Doc 16422
Authors Stahel, WR
Title Policy for material efficiency-sustainable taxation as a departure from the throwaway society
Year 2013
Published Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society A-Mathematical Physical And Engineering Sciences, 371, 1986
DOI 10.1098/rsta.2011.0567
Abstract The present economy is not sustainable with regard to its per capita material consumption. A dematerialization of the economy of industrialized countries can be achieved by a change in course, from an industrial economy built on throughput to a circular economy built on stock optimization, decoupling wealth and welfare from resource consumption while creating more work. The business models of a circular economy have been known since the mid-1970s and are now applied in a number of industrial sectors. This paper argues that a simple and convincing lever could accelerate the shift to a circular economy, and that this lever is the shift to a tax system based on the principles of sustainability: not taxing renewable resources including human labour-work-but taxing non-renewable resources instead is a powerful lever. Taxing materials and energies will promote low-carbon and low-resource solutions and a move towards a 'circular' regional economy as opposed to the 'linear' global economy requiring fuel-based transport for goods throughput. In addition to substantial improvements in material and energy efficiency, regional job creation and national greenhouse gas emission reductions, such a change will foster all activities based on 'caring', such as maintaining cultural heritage and natural wealth, health services, knowledge and know-how.
Author Keywords sustainable taxation; circular economy; regional job creation; caring; reuse; service-life extension
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:000314154100007
WoS Category Multidisciplinary Sciences
Research Area Science & Technology - Other Topics
PDF https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsta.2011.0567
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