Failure to apply polluter pays principle

In many countries, governments set standards for domestic water. The companies selling the water must clean the water of pollutants in order to meet these standards. Polluters are not charged for fouling the water, leaving the individual end user to foot the bill for water cleansing.

Farmers take advice from pesticide companies on how much pesticide to use, and of course the pesticide companies have a vested interest in selling pesticides. Moreover, the British government has abandoned its principle of making the polluter pay, exacerbating the both the pollution and the unfair billing of the consumer.

1. Resistance to internationally agreed standards
2. Lack of integrated pollution control
3. Government inaction

1. Polluted drinking water
2. Inadequacy of economic accounting systems
3. Havens for environmental pollution
4. Disparity of national tax systems

1. Incompatibility of environmental and economic decision-making
2. Inadequate legislation against environmental pollution
3. Inadequate evaluation of environmental costs
4. Inadequate enforcement of environmental regulations
5. Inadequacy of economic accounting systems
6. Fear of increased taxation
7. Economic dependence upon socially undesirable activities

1. Reluctance to impose pollution taxes
2. Inappropriate taxation

1. Monitoring pollution control
2. Introducing pollution-based tax system
3. Introducing environmental taxes
4. Enforcing air quality controls
5. Delaying introduction of tax on pollution
6. Applying polluter-pays principle