A pollution charge differs from command-and-control regulation because the charge:

1. The two families of policy work through different mechanisms. 2. Command-and-control laws specify allowable quantities of pollution. 3. They may also detail which pollution-control technologies companies must use. 4. A pollution charge is instead a tax imposed on the quantity of pollution a firm emits. 5. So the charge prices the pollution rather than dictating the method. _Source: OpenStax Principles of Microeconomics for AP Courses 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 12 'Environmental Protection and Negative Externalities'_