This PhD research explores how the "polluter pays" principle can be applied to address the Commercial Determinants of Health (CDoH) at the local government level.

CDoH refers to the systems and practices through which commercial actors influence health and equity, often negatively. While businesses contribute to economic growth and innovation, they also generate significant health and environmental harms - such as pollution, producing unhealthy products, and increasing social inequities - which local authorities are left to manage, often with shrinking budgets.

The research will focus on reforming local business taxation, particularly business rates, to better reflect the externalities - both positive and negative - associated with different sectors. Using the polluter pays principle, the research will investigate how businesses that impose greater health and environmental costs could be taxed more, while those that promote wellbeing could be incentivised. This approach aligns fiscal policy with public health and sustainability goals and could help local authorities generate revenue more equitably.

While the initial focus is on local government, the research may also consider broader applications, including national or global mechanisms, such as levies on the tobacco industry.

The research will be conducted under the supervision of leading public health experts Dr Rob Branston, Professor Anna Gilmore and Dr Andrea Serna Castano at the University of Bath’s Centre for 21st Century Public Health.

For further details, visit https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/polluter-pays-to-address-the-commercial-determinants-of-health-cdoh/?p186535

Application deadline: Tuesday 30 September 2025.