The document provides an update on the activities of the Ex'tax Project from July to November 2015. Some key developments include: - The European Commission and King of the Netherlands voiced support for shifting taxes from labor to pollution. - Ex'tax presented at Nestle headquarters and engaged Deloitte, EY, and PwC in further research. - Events and presentations increased Ex'tax's reach to larger audiences and higher levels of government and business. - Publications by think tanks and the media further advanced the principles of tax shifting and circular economy.

1. The Ex’tax Project
Update
2015
JULY - NOVEMBER

2. Ex’tax is reaching ‘high places’
☺

3. European Commission video in support of Ex’tax
“One
of
the
biggest
tax
policy
challenges
in
Europe
is
that
governments
tend
to
rely
too
much
on
labour
taxes.
But
overdependence
on
labour
taxes
can
be
a
disadvantage
when
they
make
it
too
expensive
to
employ
people.
Passing
some
of
the
taxes
to
other
things,
such
as
pollution,
could
help
to
accelerate
employment
and
economic
growth.
Smart
taxation
is
a
winning
strategy.”
http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/explained/index_en.htm

4. https://www.government.nl/documents/speeches/2015/09/15/speech-from-the-throne-2015
The King’s speech in the Netherlands
"Labour
costs
are
being
reduced
for
employees
on
or
slightly
above
the
minimum
wage.
This
will
make
it
more
Einancially
attractive
to
take
on
or
retain,
for
example,
cleaners,
classroom
assistants
and
cashiers.”
His Majesty The King of the Netherlands

5. We were invited to present at Nestlé
headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland
They made a banner especially for us…

7. Nestlé is now actively supporting the development of
the Tax Shift Simulator
Nestlé

8. (2:40) Feike Sijbesma:
“I
think
carbon
price,
I
totally
agree
with
Gérard
[Mestrallet,
Chairman
and
CEO,
ENGIE],
is
the
most
economic
incentive
for
companies
all
together
to
move.
But
governments
can
look
to
other
things.
Major
income
stream
of
governments
is
taxation.
Major
part
of
tax
is
labour-­‐related
of
most
governments.
A
small
part
of
the
tax
has
to
do
with
scarce
raw
materials.
Why
not
switch
a
part
of
that
income
taxation?
Same
income
for
government,
different
measurement.”
Moderator:
“From
labour
to
carbon
tax.”
Feike Sijbesma (CEO Royal DSM) introduced Ex’tax
during Climate Week NYC 2015
http://www.theclimategroup.org/what-we-do/news-and-blogs/watch-cwnyc-live-climate-week-nyc-signature-event/

9. Deloitte, EY, PwC have committed to the next
phase of our research to build an EU tax shift
scenario

10. … thereby facilitating our macro-economic
study with Cambridge Econometrics

11. http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/14148/De-Duurzame-100-2015/integration/nmc/frameset/duurzame-100-2015/ranglijst.dhtml
Femke in Sustainable Top 100

12. More presentations,
larger audiences

13. http://naturalcapitalforum.com/why-attend/young-leaders-roundtable/
Session with Richard Branson at the World Natural Capital Forum

14. http://naturalcapitalforum.com/why-attend/young-leaders-roundtable/
Session with Richard Branson at the World Natural Capital Forum

15. http://www.wrforum.org/events/wrf-2015/program/
World Resources Forum, Davos

16. http://www.nbavrc.nl/Bijeenkomsten/congres-2015-Onuitputtelijke-w-aarde/Sprekers/ / http://executivefinance.nl/2015/10/congres-nba-vrc-financiering-circulaire-economie-bottleneck/
‘Day of the Financial’
(NBA-VRC, Dutch Association of Chartered Accountants and Controllers)

17. - Invited by prof. dr. Stef van
Weeghel (International Tax
Law, University of
Amsterdam, Partner PwC);
- 40 Business tax leaders and
policy makers;
- 40 PwC tax experts.
PwC Global Tax Policy Conference, Oxford

18. http://www.publicpolicyexchange.co.uk/events/FF17-PPE2?ss=em&tg=1a
Green Growth Conference, Brussels

19. http://emergeconference.co.uk
Emerge, Oxford

20. And publications

21. http://www.volkskrant.nl/opinie/femke-groothuis-bedrijfsleven-is-bewuster-van-klimaatprobleem-dan-politiek~a4134188/
Volkskrant.nl homepage

22. http://bureaudehelling.nl/tijdschrift/2015-3/grondstoffenpolitiek
Magazine of the Dutch Green Party (GroenLinks)

23. https://d66.nl/content/uploads/sites/2/2015/09/Tegenbegroting-D66-online.pdf
D66 (Progressive Liberal party) has proposed Ex’tax
D66 (currently 12 seats out of 150 in
the House of Representatives) has
published a so-called 'counter
budget’. The title is ‘More jobs, less
pollution’ and proposes a package
of measures worth € 10 billion,
focused on shifting taxes from
labour to natural resource use and
consumption.
“In order to lower taxes on labour,
D66 wants to put higher taxes on
pollution and waste of energy. We’d
rather have the polluters pay, than
the workers” [translated]

24. http://www.doen.nl/web/over-DOEN/Organisatie/Jaarverslag.htm
Ex’tax features in DOEN Foundation Annual Report

25. - RLI (Council for the Environment and Infrastructure)
2015) Circulair economie: van wens naar uitvoering.
http://www.rli.nl/publicaties/2015/advies/circulaire-economie-van-wens-naar-
uitvoering
- McKinsey & Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2015)
Growth within: a circular economy vision for a
competitive Europe.
http://www.mckinsey.com/Insights/Sustainability/Europes_circular-economy_opportunity?cid=other-soc-
lkn-mip-mck-oth-1508&kui=RXVBegKrvSIyTK2JLLUTDg
- Rabobank Special (2015) De potentie van de
circulaire economie.
https://economie.rabobank.com/publicaties/2015/juli/de-potentie-van-de-circulaire-economie/
Publications by others which include Ex’tax and its principles

26. In (social) media:

28. http://circulatenews.org/2015/11/the-social-power-of-the-circular-economy/
Blog on Circulate news (Ellen MacArthur Foundation)

29. https://www.thinkdif.co/emf-stage/tax-reform-the-key-to-a-circular-economy
Webinar for the disruptive innovation festival
(online festival of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation)

30. https://www.thinkdif.co/emf-stage/making-things-work-employment-and-the-economy-in-an-automated-future-part-3
Podcast interview at disruptive innovation festival

31. http://www.radio1.nl/item/328430-Reportageserie:%20de%20circulaire%20economie%20(4).html#
Dutch Radio item on tax & the circular economy

32. xxx
A new 6-minute video

33. Relevant other news

34. http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/News/1.2397968
Belgium undertakes significant tax shift
- By 2018 the reform is expected to reduce labour taxes by €7.2 billion.
- The single largest change is €2.7 bn of additional taxes with environment
and health benefits (e.g. higher diesel taxes; sugary drink tax), a further
€2.4 billion in capital taxes, with the remaining €2.1 bn coming from anti-
fraud measures, federal administrative changes and other reforms.
- The reform favours the lower paid. Those on gross monthly wages of
€1,500 are to gain an additional €140 per month while employees earning
€3,300 will take home an additional €90 a month. There are also gains for
pensioners, those on social security and an enhanced mobility allowance.

35. http://www.euractiv.com/sections/sustainable-dev/france-targets-carbon-tax-energy-transition-law-316597?utm_source=EurActiv
+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e180b9b5d4-newsletter_sustainable_development&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bab5f0ea4e-e180b9b5d4-245394725
France adopts ambitious energy bill, including major tax on carbon

36. http://www.imf.org/external/np/ms/2015/111015a.htm
IMF to Dutch government: shift taxes from labour to consumption

37. World Bank Group (2015) State & Trends of Carbon Pricing 2015.
37
World Bank: 40 national and 20 subnational jurisdictions are
putting a price on carbon, representing almost a quarter of global
GHG emissions

38. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/23/starbucks-nike-walmart-commit-sourcing-100-renewable-electricity
More companies commit to renewable energy

39. (…)
Adobe Systems
Airbus Group
American Electric Power
Apache Corporation
BP
Chevron Corporation
ConocoPhillips
Delta Air Lines
Delphi Automotive
Deutsche Bank
Duke Energy Corporation
E.I. Du Pont
Entergy Corporation
Exxon Mobil Corporation
General Electric Company
Google
Heineken
Hess Corporation
Honda
Microsoft Corporation
Royal Dutch Shell
Smurfit Kappa
Total
Unilever
Wells Fargo & Company
Xcel Energy
Wal-mart Stores
Walt Disney Company
(…)
CDP (2015) Putting a price on risk: Carbon pricing in the corporate world.
1,000+ businesses are applying an internal price on carbon now
(or expect to do so within 2 years)

40. http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/development/securing-livelihoods-for-all_9789264231894-en#page3
OECD warns for “jobless growth”
“Job
creation
drives
livelihood
improvements.
The
signiEicant
reduction
of
global
extreme
poverty
over
the
last
decade
was
made
possible
by
the
creation
of
millions
of
new
productive
jobs,
particularly
in
the
developing
world.
For
example,
South
Asia
created
on
average
8.5
million
new
jobs
every
year
between
2009
and
2014.
Yet
growth
in
GDP
is
not
being
matched
by
a
rise
in
employment,
leading
to
the
phenomenon
of
“jobless
growth”
in
almost
all
countries...
This
trend
has
been
especially
pronounced
since
the
2000s”

41. Ex’tax is gaining public attention and relevance.
We’re excited about our progress,
and -with your support- we hope to
make a difference!