The first Environmental Tax Forum was held in Guayaquil, Ecuador on March 17, 2011, co-organized by the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations-CIAT, the Internal Revenue Service-SRI of Ecuador and Soluciones Ambientales Totales (Total Environmental Solutions) of Guayaquil-SAMBITO.

This Forum was held within the framework of the International Environmental Summit-CIMA held in that city last March 14-17, inaugurated by the President of CIMA, Mr. Gustavo Manrique, with the participation of the CIAT Executive Secretary, Mr. Márcio Verdi and the SRI Director, Mr. Carlos Marx Carrasco.

In their presentations the authorities highlighted not only the importance of discussing and analyzing tax problems in relation to environmental policy and taxation, but also the need to establish strategic alliances between the public and private sectors for the preservation of natural resources.

The topics discussed in the event dealt with tax policy and environmental taxes and incentives. The panelists who presented their viewpoints and experiences in relation to the subject matter were representatives from Colombia, Ecuador, France and Germany as well as from the Ecuadorian business sector.

The European experiences were presented by Mr. Anselm Görres from Green Budget in Germany and Mrs. Isabelle Gaetan, Head of the French Mission at CIAT.

Presentations on behalf of Latin America were made by Mrs. Marcela Aguiñaga, Minister of the Environment of Ecuador, Mr. Carlos Marx Carrasco, General Director of the SRI and Mr. Julio Roberto Piza, Director of the Tax Law Department of Universidad Externado de Colombia.

The representatives of the business and industrial sectors were Messrs. Henry Kroffle, President of the Industrialists Association of Latin America-AILA and Heinz Moeller, Professor.

The Forum was widely accepted and it is anticipated that a new version may be held in 2013.

It should be highlighted that in the closing activities of the Summit, Mr. Al Gore, gave an outstanding speech, resolutely urging all the participants to consider the establishment of a price on the emission of greenhouse gases. He firmly stated: We must put a price on Carbon!

The presentations and report of this successful event are available in the CIAT web site.

In the picture the Executive Secretary of CIAT, Mr. Márcio F. Verdi		Mr. Al Gore addresses the audience at the closing of the summit.