ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND FISCAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: AN ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL TAXES

Environmental problems that have largest externalities among global commodities and that cause damages affecting future generations, exceed the limits to be solved by market solutions or countries' own efforts. Prevention or reduction of the negative effects and damages of such externalities is only possible with the solutions and measures including global business associations, international agreements, cooperation and universal approaches. In this context, environmental policies are crucial in terms of achieving sustainable development and providing concrete environmental improvements. Environmental problems and factors such as trying to realize sustainable development within these problems have exacerbated the need for regulatory effects of environmental taxes. Environmental taxes are one of the most important fiscal policy instrument used in internalizing “negative externalities”. In the study, environmental policies and applied financial instruments are addressed in the framework of sustainable development; environmental taxes are examined conceptually and in terms of scope; and environmental taxes are evaluated comparatively for both developed countries and Turkey