A pollution tax is a levy on businesses and individuals who produce harmful pollutants into the environment. However, there are several synonyms for this term that better describe the concept. One such alternative is an emissions tax, which places a fee on companies based on the amount of pollutants they produce. Likewise, a carbon tax places a levy on greenhouse gas emissions, with the goal of reducing climate change. A pollution charge is similar to a pollution tax, but is often applied to individual consumers rather than businesses. Finally, a congestion charge is a type of pollution tax that is applied to vehicles in heavily populated urban areas, encouraging the use of public transportation or carpooling.