George Eustice, today stating that the UK might increase taxes on imports from nations which fail to address climate change said today.
Whitehall officials have been looking into the possibility of creating a carbon border tax, according to the Environment Secretary.
The theory is that it would increase costs for products manufactured by states who are unwilling to fulfill their obligations.
Eustice argued that there will be no arbitrary “meat tax” to drive up food prices in response to environmental issues.
The comments came as Boris Johnson urged negotiators in Glasgow to ‘drive for the line’ to get deals on protecting the globe.
A border tax on imports will take many years to implement and, according to Mr Eustice, it should be done on an international scale.
Today George Eustice revealed that officials at Whitehall are looking into the possibility of a “carbon border tax”.
Glasgow’s COP26 Summit was disrupted by protestors this weekend
The Treasury and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been looking into models for how a carbon-border tax could work.
He stated that ‘In an ideal universe, it would be done multilaterally with the entire world coming together to agreement this’, he said on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show in Glasgow.
“But it will be essential. A carbon border tax is the only way to make sense of carbon taxes and emission trading if you are going to implement them in the near future.
This tax is intended to stop pollution being exported through imports of products from other countries, without considering the emission produced in those countries.
We would say, as countries that we have taken the necessary actions to meet this challenge. However, we will not allow these producers in our country to be outsourced by others who don’t share their efforts, nor are we going to export pollution.
“So, even if your goal is to avoid pollution exports, you might need to think about a carbon border tax.”
However, Mr Eustice stated that no’meat taxes’ are in the future.
He said, “We don’t intend to have an arbitrary tax on meat or levy.”
“That was never on the cards.” It’s not something I support.
PM spoke to the media overnight following the Glasgow summit’s passing the halfway point. He stated: “COP26 has one week remaining for its deliverables, so we all need to pull together and push for it.”
Johnson claimed that countries had shown ‘ambition, and taken action to reduce rising temperatures’. He praised the agreements for deforestation as well as methane emission.
He continued, “But we can’t underestimate the task ahead to preserve 1.5C,” he said.
“Countries should return to the table next week prepared to accept bold compromises, and make ambitious promises.”
Boris Johnson (pictured) made the comments as he urged Glasgow negotiators to drive for the line to secure climate change deals.