Unconditional Basic Income Europe (UBIE) has submitted a policy proposal on the “Ecological Basic Income” to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, as part of his call for input to the “Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth.”
A Dual Solution for Poverty and Environmental Challenges
The Ecological Basic Income (EBI) represents a transformative approach that addresses both poverty eradication and environmental sustainability – two critical challenges that traditional growth-centered policies have failed to resolve. The proposal outlines a concrete mechanism to finance a universal basic income through ecological taxation, creating a virtuous cycle that simultaneously reduces resource consumption, provides economic security independent of growth, and enables a just socio-ecological transition.
At its core, the EBI combines two powerful policy instruments:
- Unconditional Basic Income: A regular cash payment provided to all individuals without means testing or work requirements, sufficient to meet basic needs and enable participation in society.
- Ecological Taxation: Progressive taxes on resource consumption, carbon emissions, and other environmentally harmful activities.
The mechanism works by redistributing revenues from ecological taxes equally to all citizens as a universal basic income. This approach addresses a common concern with ecological taxes – that they might disproportionately burden low-income households who spend a higher percentage of their income on energy and basic goods. Research consistently shows that higher-income individuals consume more resources on average, meaning they will pay more in eco-taxes while receiving the same basic income as everyone else. This creates a net benefit for lower-income households, making the system both environmentally sustainable and socially just.
As ecological behaviors change in response to taxation, tax rates can be adjusted to maintain stable funding for the basic income while continuing to incentivize environmental improvements. The EBI thus creates a self-sustaining cycle of ecological improvement and social security that operates independently of economic growth metrics.
“The Ecological Basic Income offers a concrete policy response to the central question posed by the Special Rapporteur: What concrete policy actions can be implemented to fight poverty, reduce inequalities, and enhance human well-being within planetary boundaries, without relying on economic growth as a condition sine qua non?” said Ulrich Schachtschneider, the lead author of UBIE’s submission.
Key Policy Elements
The proposal details implementation pathways at local, national, regional, and global levels across short, medium, and long-term horizons. Key components include:
- Short-term actions (2-3 years): Introducing moderate CO₂ taxes with 100% of revenues distributed equally to all citizens as a “climate dividend” and establishing pilot programs
- Medium-term actions (5 years): Expanding the tax base beyond carbon to include other resource usage and integrating the EBI with existing social protection systems
- Long-term vision (10 years): Implementing full Ecological Basic Income systems providing meaningful economic security while supporting a post-growth transition
The submission also highlights a concrete example of an “Ecological Eurodividend” that could distribute revenues from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme equally to all EU citizens, providing approximately €1,000 per person annually.
Part of a Global Conversation
The UN Special Rapporteur’s “Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth” project aims to develop a comprehensive blueprint to guide governments and international agencies in adopting policies that prioritize well-being and human rights over GDP growth. The Roadmap will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in mid-2026 and is expected to influence the next generation of global development goals.
UBIE’s submission is now available on our website and will also be published in the Special Rapporteur’s dedicated “Beyond Growth Roadmap” online repository, which will serve as a living collection of policy proposals for eradicating poverty beyond growth.