Political leadership has limited impact on fossil fuel taxes, subsidies: Study

New Delhi [India], November 15 (ANI): To address the climate crisis, experts have urged governments to disincentivize fossil fuels for consumers. But, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that political leaders have little or limited impact on gasoline taxes or subsidies.
Michael L. Ross and his colleagues examined the role of political leaders, including presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs, in raising taxes on and reducing subsidies for gasoline.
The authors analyzed monthly gasoline tax and subsidy data for 155 countries from 1990 to 2015 and found that political leaders' impact on taxes and subsidies was limited and often ephemeral.
In countries with apparent leadership impact on taxes and subsidies, reforms were reversed within a year 62 per cent of the time and reversed within 5 years 87 per cent of the time.
The impact was limited, regardless of leaders' age, gender, education, political ideology, or the type of government.
Presidents and prime ministers who were recognized by the United Nations for their environmental leadership had no more success in influencing gasoline taxes and subsidies than other political leaders.
According to the authors, the findings suggest that leaders should focus on additional policies for promoting decarbonization, such as reducing the cost and increasing the availability of renewable energy.
Further, the study reveals political leaders might have more success promoting other, less politically sensitive decarbonization policies, such as subsidizing renewable energy and making it more widely available.
The researchers used original data to investigate the role of presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs in 155 countries from 1990 to 2015 in changing their countries' gasoline taxes and subsidies. (ANI)