What Is a Green Levy?
什么是绿色税？

A green levy is a tax imposed by a government on sources of pollution or carbon emission. A green levy is aimed at discouraging the use of inefficient sources of energy and encouraging the implementation of environmental-friendly alternatives. The term is most commonly used in relation to a tax on fuel-inefficient vehicles.
绿色税是政府对污染源或碳排放源征收的税。绿色税旨在阻止使用低效能源，并鼓励实施环境友好的替代方案。该术语最常用于对燃油效率低的车辆征税。

KEY TAKEAWAYS
关键要点

·A green levy is a tax enforced by a government on sources of pollution and carbon emissions.
·绿色税是政府对污染源和碳排放征收的税。

·The intended goal of a green levy is to curb pollution and emissions and spur corporations and individuals to use renewable energy or cut down their carbon footprint.
·绿色税的预期目标是遏制污染和排放，鼓励企业和个人使用可再生能源或减少碳足迹。

·Capitalistic markets do not factor in the negative costs to an environment, therefore, green levies are instituted to create a relationship between corporations and individuals and their environment.
·资本主义市场不考虑环境的负面成本，因此，征收绿色税是为了在企业和个人及其环境之间建立一种关系。

·One of the most common green levies is a carbon tax, which taxes businesses or citizens by charging a fee associated with their carbon footprint.
·最常见的绿色税之一是碳税，通过收取与碳足迹相关的费用来对企业或公民征税。

·Those against flat tax green levies argue that they hurt those with lower incomes as they increase the price for vehicles, petroleum, and home heating, capturing a larger portion of their income.
·那些反对征收绿色统一税的人认为，随着汽车、石油和家庭取暖价格的上涨，绿色征税对低收入者造成了伤害，占据了他们收入的大部分。

·Critics also contend that green levies allow the wealthy to buy their way out of any responsibility while doing little to reduce pollution and simultaneously hurting the less fortunate.
·批评人士还认为，绿色税让富人可以通过购买来逃避任何责任，而在减少污染方面却收效甚微，同时也伤害了那些不幸的人。

Understanding a Green Levy
了解绿色征税

Green levies, or ecotaxes, are described by proponents as a way for governments to address the failure of markets to factor in the environmental costs of using non-renewable resources or energy-inefficient practices. They are versions of Pigovian taxes, whose intent is to make private enterprise have some connection to the social burden of their business practices.
支持者描述绿色税或生态税为政府解决市场未能考虑到使用不可再生资源或能源效率低下的环境成本的一种方式。它们类似庇古税，其目的是使私营企业与其商业活动的社会负担有某种联系。

The goal is to create a shift away from using destructive energy sources, such as oil and coal, towards environmentally friendly ones, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro.
目标是从使用石油和煤炭等破坏性能源转向使用风能、太阳能、地热和水力等环保能源。

One of the ways that governments apply green levies has been through carbon taxes; a system in which a business or private citizen has to pay a fee associated with the size of their carbon footprint. It's been argued by proponents of these plans that these taxes might replace those that are already in place, like payroll, corporate, land value, and property taxes.
政府征收绿色税的方式之一是征收碳税；在此制度下，企业或公民个人必须支付与其碳足迹大小相关的费用。这些计划的支持者认为，这些税收可能会取代现有的税收，如工资税、企业税、土地税和财产税。

Real-World Examples
真实世界示例

Some examples of green levies imposed in countries across the world include Canada's tax on cars that are fuel inefficient. The tax applies only to passenger vehicles purchased from Canada or the United States that must meet two criteria: "A car, SUV, or van with a weighted average fuel consumption of 13 liters per 100 km or higher and was put into service after March 19, 2007." The vehicles are taxed at the following rates:
世界各国征收的绿色税的一些例子包括加拿大对燃油效：“加权平均油耗为每100公里13升或更高，且在2007年3月19日之后投入使用的汽车、SUV或厢式货车。”这些车辆的税率如下：

At least 13, but less than 14 liters per 100 km: $1,000
每100公里至少13升，但低于14升：1000美元

At least 14, but less than 15 liters per 100 km: $2,000
每100公里至少14升，但低于15升：2000美元

At least 15, but less than 16 liters per 100 km: $3,000
每100公里至少15升，但低于16升：3000美元

16 or more liters per 100 km: $4,000
每100公里16升或更多：$4000

Germany has passed taxes on electricity and petroleum, while renewable sources of electricity were not taxed. Germany also imposed a tax designed to favor more efficient power plants and increased petroleum taxes.
德国通过了电力和石油税，而可再生能源则不征税。德国还征收了一项旨在有利于更高效发电厂的税，并增加了石油税。

As early as 1993, the U.K. imposed a fuel price escalator, but it was ended after protests across the nation when fuel prices were higher than anywhere in Europe.
早在1993年，英国就实施了燃油价格升级，但由于燃油价格高于欧洲任何地方，在全国范围内发生抗议后，这一政策终止了。

英文来源：https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/green-levy.asp