Thomas Sterner, Professor of Environmental Economics, University of Gothenburg, and Chair of EfD Research Committee, is awarded the Think Tank Green Budget Europe's prize of “Environmental Fiscal Reformer of the Year 2014” in recognition of his important contribution to the advancement of Environmental Fiscal Reforms in his professional career i.a. through his work on the distributive effects of fuel taxes.
Sterner will receive the award today 5 November 2014 at the Norway House in Brussels. The Awards Ceremony will close the Green Budget Europe Annual Conference which will bring together around 100 key experts on Environmental Fiscal Reform. (See below for program in pdf)
According to Green Budget Europe, Thomas Sterner is awarded the prize in recognition of his work to promote the EFR in the European Union but also in the context of his work of being a Coordinating Lead Author of Chapter 15: “National and Sub-national Policy Instruments” of the last IPPC report.
It was through building up his research team that Sterner fosters dialogue on the importance to tackle climate change as soon as possible and the important role, Market-Based Instruments can play to do this effectively.
Last but not least, says Dr. Anselm Görres President of Green Budget Germany, Sterner brought together people in inspiring networks.
"We would also like to give Thomas Sterner this award in recognition of his innovative and refreshing approach to bringing these fundamental issues to life in politics, to transmitting them into a language understandable to policy makers and the EU citizens," Görres says.
Every year, Green Budget Europe – the European platform to promote Environmental Fiscal Reforms and Market-Based Instruments – awards the Environmental Fiscal Reformer of the Year prize to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to progress on Environmental Fiscal Reform.
The motto of the prize is: People will do anything for money, even the right thing – a quotation of former Mayor of Landshut (Germany) Josef Deimer, whose thinking unmistakably goes back to Adam Smith.
By awarding this prize, Green Budget Europe set out to achieve two things: First, to honour pioneers of Environmental Fiscal Reform (EFR) for their political, scientific, or journalistic contribution to the development and implementation of market-based instruments and to the increased establishment of the polluter-paysprinciple. Second, to promote forerunners in Environmental Fiscal Reforms thorough Europe and beyond.
By Karin Backteman
