Carbon border tax?

[Chris F]

Do we need this in the UK?

I'm thinking outside of food mainly, more about a persons overall carbon footprint. If they understood that 10% of their footprint was from fashion for instance and had to pay a tax based on this, would it help educate the public about what contributes to the consumption cycle they are part of?

I'm not sure how it could effect food overall, but I feel it would help educate the public.

 

[sjt01]

Do we need this in the UK?

I'm thinking outside of food mainly, more about a persons overall carbon footprint. If they understood that 10% of their footprint was from fashion for instance and had to pay a tax based on this, would it help educate the public about what contributes to the consumption cycle they are part of?

I'm not sure how it could effect food overall, but I feel it would help educate the public.

We need it badly, and we need to replace VAT with CAT - carbon added tax. However the issue is who assesses the carbon contribution and how.

 

[Muddyroads]

I think it would depend on how it’s calculated. As farmers we should be the big winners in all of this carbon malarkey, and I definitely don’t mean by trading credits. Yet without taking sequestration into account on the one hand or international travel for imported goods on the other I fear we’ll end up on the wrong side of things yet again.

 

[Bramble]

We need it badly, and we need to replace VAT with CAT - carbon added tax. However the issue is who assesses the carbon contribution and how.

Job for Red Tractor, will keep them off U.K. farms

 

[DaveGrohl]

Job for Red Tractor, will keep them off U.K. farms

Christ alive, can you just imagine the almighty disaster they’d make of that?!?

 

[DaveGrohl]

A carbon tax is absolutely exactly what is needed, but currently there’s absolutely no chance of it being calculated properly. As it happens, I drove past a Brewdog today and they had a plackard outside saying "we are now carbon negative". That’s the sort of crap that needs put in its place, they’re all at it.

 

[Muddyroads]

Dragons Den last week. A business (can’t remember which it was) claimed to be carbon neutral. Deborah Meaden asked if this was from carbon offsetting. Yes, they said. Fine she said.
What a crock of !

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Which just goes to prove, it’s all about the money.

And ever was it so.

 

[Chris F]

I think it would depend on how it’s calculated. As farmers we should be the big winners in all of this carbon malarkey, and I definitely don’t mean by trading credits. Yet without taking sequestration into account on the one hand or international travel for imported goods on the other I fear we’ll end up on the wrong side of things yet again.

Calculation would certainly be interesting, I not really seeing this in terms of offsets, think its more about education. Fashion has the same footprint as farming, with a carbon border tax, that would soon become evident to people. Excessive consumption causes more of your footprint than anything else. Most people don't need have the sh!t they buy (Me included).

Good article on it here - We are all complicit in climate change — so we should all pay to fix it

We are all complicit in climate change — so we should all pay to fix it

Cognitive dissonance, carbon pricing and what a sustainable economy would look like

www.ft.com