In the early 1990s, the first tax on carbon emissions was introduced in European countries in an effort to try cut down on the damage done by greenhouse gas emissions as by-products of our industrial production. This tax, which takes different forms in countries around the world, is aimed at addressing the damage done by the use of fossil fuels, hoping to make the consumers and producers of such fuels rethink their habits and reduce overall emissions and thereby cut down on the environmental damage done over time.
While Carbon Tax laws can be quite harmful towards the least advantaged members of society and those whose earnings do not necessarily justify having to pay the same amount on a fuel tax than those of higher pay scales, many countries and legislations have attempted to offset this by using the funds gained by taxation in order to help improve the situation of the least advantaged.
A proposed Carbon Tax in South Africa was set to be rolled out in 2010, but a difficult global economic climate made its implementation difficult, and it was postponed. Now set to be rolled out in 2016 due to the increased instability of the local industries caused by unionized striking and slow economic growth. Studies have shown that South Africa is in the top 20 countries in the world when it comes to those considered most active in their efforts to decrease impact on the environment. The proposed tax in South Africa is expected to be phased in slowly, and is only one of many environmental efforts being introduced into the country, such as the biofuel production incentive and plans to increase the current vehicle emissions tax.
One of the biggest problems facing the implementation of carbon taxes worldwide is the opposition being raised by those countries and private corporations who benefit from the consumption of high amounts of carbon. The USA, China and Australia, for example, have been slow and somewhat unwilling to implement the tax since it would substantially affect their economic growth.
