Sustainability & ESG in Taxation

Climate change is a global issue and requires global solutions. Taxes are becoming more frequently used by governments and the European Union as one of the tools to mitigate climate change. For instance, energy taxation, plastic taxation, carbon pricing, etc., are being used to stimulate consumption and incentivise more sustainable solutions.

In recent years, the number of new tax tools within the ESG field has increased substantially at the national and international levels and they are gaining a lot of significance. Tax transparency and tax governance will soon become a "licence to operate" for businesses in many countries. We can already see that some countries, such as Poland and the UK, are requiring large MNEs to publicly report on their tax arrangements and risks. At the international level, there are many voluntary reporting standards, such as GRI 207, the B Team Responsible Tax Principles, or the Dutch Tax Governance Code, as well as proposals for mandatory reporting, such as the Country-by-Country Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

At WTS Global, we believe that a holistic approach is crucial for matters related to sustainability and ESG in taxation. Our team consists of tax advisors, lawyers, economists, and engineers from different countries who exchange their knowledge and experiences during our Climate Protection, Green Tax & Energy Mindset Hub meetings. Hence, we combine tax advice with comprehensive and holistic legal advice on regulatory, contractual, and litigation matters. Together, we have in-depth experience in fields spanning from green taxes, energy and climate protection law, plastic taxes, to non-financial reporting.

Our services ‘at a glance’ include:

• Energy and electricity taxes
• Climate regulation & energy law
• Environmental taxes (plastic tax, alcohol tax, waste tax, etc.)
• Customs and excise duties
• Tax reporting (GRI 207, CbCR)
• Non-financial reporting (CSRD)
   

Our experts are globally connected and locally rooted. We offer our sustainability and ESG services in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America.