5 minute read 5 Sep 2023
Tax policy for sustainable decarbonisation

Tax policy as a catalyst for sustainable decarbonization

Authors
Rajnish Gupta

Partner, Tax and Economic Policy Group, EY India

Senior professional with major focus on strategic policy intervention and regulatory consulting. A thought leader who lays emphasis on building narratives. Golfer.

Shalini Mathur

EY India Tax and Economic Policy Group, Director

Shalini comes with over 28 years of experience in policy and regulatory matters. She works in collaboration with the global EY tax policy network and industry associations.

5 minute read 5 Sep 2023
Related topics Tax Tax controversy Sustainability Long-Term Value Climate change and sustainability
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Both private entities and governments hold pivotal responsibility towards decarbonization.

In brief 

  • Supportive policies including financial incentives have effectively slashed costs, lowered tariffs, and facilitated the extensive incorporation of clean energy into the grid.
  • Governments also acknowledge that decarbonization presents economic prospects, including the creation of new markets, employment opportunities, and industries in the shift towards sustainability.

Decarbonization and transition towards new energy along with digitalization are the two most important drivers of economic growth and transformation globally. While new innovations in digitalization have been driven by private players, it is the governments that have an important role in driving decarbonization. Large-scale government support is required in early-stage clean technology development and integrating it into the overall energy system. Supportive policy has helped reduce costs and tariffs and made large-scale deployment of clean power and its integration into the grid possible.  

Governments are particularly leveraging indirect tax or similar policies to encourage decarbonization through the use of renewable energy sources and infrastructure, greener and more efficient production processes, electric vehicles, and green building practices to name a few. The use of carbon levies, excise duties/VAT /GST and other pollution-linked fees to deter carbon emissions is gaining ground, as is the handing out of multiple incentives to attract green technologies and businesses. 

Governments also recognize that decarbonization throws up economic opportunities and benefits of creating new markets, jobs, and industries in the green transition. For instance, effective January 2023, United States’ Inflation Reduction Act offers large subsidies and tax credits to companies investing in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies (such as batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines) if the products and parts are manufactured in the US. The Investment Tax Credit (30%)1  and Production Tax Credit (US$ 0.0275/kWh, 2023 value)2  allow eligible taxpayers to deduct a percentage of the cost of renewable energy systems from their federal taxes. According to some press reports, tax credits may be a better tool than subsidies3.  Similarly, the European Commission’s proposal for a “Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age” presented in February this year, recommends EU Member States to introduce tax breaks either as tax credit or accelerated depreciation, among other initiatives. Simplification of subsidies for batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, electrolyzers, and carbon capture technology is also proposed.

On the other hand, the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), due to enter the transition phase in October 2023 and be effective in 2026 will put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon intensive goods that enter the EU. The idea is to ensure that the carbon price of imports is equivalent to the carbon price of domestic production. Initially, CBAM will cover carbon-intensive imports in six sectors: aluminum, cement, electricity, fertilizers, iron and steel and hydrogen, imposing reporting requirements on the importers.

In line with global practices, India is crafting its decarbonization strategy to reduce emissions and drive investments. One of the initiatives in this direction is the production linked incentives (PLIs) that offer financial incentives (tax rebates / import and export duty concessions/ other incentives) to manufacturers for meeting specific milestones in sales, linked indirectly to capacity creation.  The PLI schemes for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) (INR 181 billion), automotive sector (INR 259.38 billion) and Faster Adoption of Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) (INR 100 billion) will enable India to shift from traditional fossil fuel-based automobile transportation system to environmentally cleaner, sustainable, advanced and more efficient Electric Vehicles (EV) based system.  Similarly, the Government has allocated a total domestic manufacturing capacity of 48,337 MW with a cumulative support of more than INR 185 billion under the PLI Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules.

The government has also been using specific tax incentives such as lower taxes on environmentally friendly products such as EVs and ethanol.  As an example, EVs attract a GST of 5% against 28% and even more for ICE engine-based vehicles. Similarly, Ethanol for blending with petrol attracts a GST of 5% against 18% for industrial alcohol. More recently, to promote green mobility, excise duty on GST-paid compressed bio-gas was given tax exemption in the Finance Act, of 2023.

India does not have an explicit carbon tax, even though it can be effective in reducing emissions and be a source of additional revenues.  However, the coal cess of INR4004 per ton and the high level of taxation on petrol and diesel are examples of an implicit carbon tax. The effective tax on petrol and diesel can be more than 100% in contrast to the general 18% tax on most fuels subject to GST.  As an anomaly, clean fuels like natural gas continue to be outside the ambit of GST, thereby impacting its competitiveness as a fuel and India’s ability to reduce emissions.

The Indian government has been using other regulatory measures towards decarbonization. For instance, the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, of 2022 has introduced concepts such as carbon trading and mandates the use of non-fossil fuels and energy efficient standards to ensure faster decarbonization and achievement of sustainable development goals. 

Going forward, businesses will need to be mindful of the impact of the increasing use of fiscal tools for decarbonization. Besides the potential exposure and tax burden, these tools may involve increased compliances and reporting obligations.  

 

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Summary

India’s initiatives to move towards developing a carbon pricing mechanism, promoting renewable energy infrastructure and explore carbon capture technology would encourage companies to reduce their emissions and align India’s policies with the global policies.

About this article

Authors
Rajnish Gupta

Partner, Tax and Economic Policy Group, EY India

Senior professional with major focus on strategic policy intervention and regulatory consulting. A thought leader who lays emphasis on building narratives. Golfer.

Shalini Mathur

EY India Tax and Economic Policy Group, Director

Shalini comes with over 28 years of experience in policy and regulatory matters. She works in collaboration with the global EY tax policy network and industry associations.

Related topics Tax Tax controversy Sustainability Long-Term Value Climate change and sustainability
Upvote