Sustainability and climate change tax

There is an increasing awareness and need for businesses to address the broader issues of sustainability, climate change, energy efficiency and carbon management. Originally viewed as a ‘nice to do’ when time and money permits, there has been a rapidly evolving awakening of how businesses will be impacted - by both the solutions and the consequences of inaction.

Addressing such issues, in certain sectors - is a necessity not an option for successful business performance.

Potential issues

Tax in relation to this agenda is evolving rapidly. PricewaterhouseCoopers' sustainability & climate change tax network is well positioned to advise on these challenges. We have helped businesses create and implement a clear strategy on the sustainability and climate change agenda - preparing the ground for a significant programme of green fiscal reform, thus mitigating future costs and also taking advantage of incentives, creating competitive advantage.

The network has developed strong relationships with legislators, and is well placed to facilitate the dialogue - feeding the concerns of our clients through to key decisions makers within Government.

As the business landscape changes, environmental taxes no longer simply refers to specific indirect taxes such as climate change and aggregates levy, landfill tax and aviation duties, but is part of a much wider business critical issue.

Our specialists work with UK industry leaders and our underlying data and modelling allow us to understand and measure the impact that current and future environmental policy and economic instruments could have on businesses.

We work with companies to simplify and prioritise the complexity and uncertainty of regulation, legislation incentives and potential future taxes – which have the purpose of creating behaviour change to benefit the environment. This gives our clients the knowledge and proficiency to make informed strategic decisions and implement mid to long term plans.

Such foresight gives organisations the favourable position of reducing their exposure to risk (both financial and reputational), thus increasing their competitive advantage and ultimately contributing categorically to shareholder value.

Our in-depth understanding of sustainability as a business, carbon markets and the renewables industry gives us a unique insight which we can apply to businesses operating in these areas.

How we can support you

• Helping you map your environmental tax footprint
• Scenario planning for the future shifts in the tax landscape
• Consultancy on formulating and monitoring environmental tax strategy and effectiveness
• Environmental tax compliance and impact assessment reviews
• Consultancy on environment related incentives and exemptions from the charge to tax, including those relating to property
• Compliance with taxes and regulations in areas of energy and waste disposal incentives
• Environmental tax dispute resolution and litigation support
• Lobbying and shaping policy on green taxes
• Deal related advice
• Tax optimisation of supply chain and infrastructure
• Full range of direct and indirect tax services for companies operating in the sustainability, carbon markets and renewables industries

Related PwC services

• Tax optimisation of supply chain and infrastructure
• Integration of climate change risk and opportunities into all aspects of business
• Consulting on the tax treatment of emissions credits
• Transaction support and due diligence of environmental risks
• Legal guidance around environmental policy: litigation, legal and regulatory support
• Advice and litigation support on environmental permits/compliance
• Environmental impact assessments
• Review of EHS (environmental health systems) risks
• Accounting for emissions trading
• Carbon finance and transactions
• Carbon risk management and health check
• Financial modelling of environment related work
• Environment management systems
• Waste management reviews
• Flexible benefit schemes that optimise environmentally beneficial opportunities
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy and environmental behaviour
• Employee change consultants to help improve your organisation's green profile