Environmental Governance and Greening Fiscal Policy

"Petrie sets out, clearly and compellingly, institutional structures to support the development of the tax and other policies needed to turn glib promises into reality." -Michael Keen, Former Deputy Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, International Monetary Fund; Founding Editor, International Tax and Public Finance

"Petrie shows how and why environmental considerations can be brought into the heart of economic policy making. A must read for all economic and environmental policy advisers." -Jonathan Boston, Professor, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

'This is the clearest guide for civil society activists to transparency and accountability of governments for environmental stewardship.' -Vivek Ramkumar, Senior Director of Policy, International Budget Partnership

This book addresses the increasingly urgent question: 'How can governments be held more accountable for environmental stewardship?' It explores enhanced national State of the Environment reporting and integration of environmental outcomes in key national indicators; mainstreaming environmental goals, targets, and risks by integrating them in fiscal policy and the annual budget, a government's most powerful policy instrument; and progressively exposing and eliminating harmful tax and expenditures policies, putting a price on pollution, and providing environmental public goods.

The book combines in-depth assessment of the latest green and climate budgeting literature and country practices with discussion of entry points for greening fiscal policy, and the role of civil society monitoring. It will be of interest to finance and budget officials, to environment agencies, oversight institutions, international organizations, and civil society organizations, and to academics and students in the fields of environmental studies, development studies, economics, public finance, and public policy.

Murray Petrie has wide experience as a public official, international civil servant, consultant, civil society activist, and academic researcher in public sector governance, financial management, and the interface between fiscal policy and the environment. He has published widely in these areas and is a member of the IMF's Panel of Fiscal Experts and the OECD Expert Group on Green Budgeting.