This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Introduce charges on carbon emissions to tackle climate crisis and air pollution
Air pollution kills 64,000 people in the UK every year, yet the Government provides annual fossil fuel subsidies of £10.5 billion, according to the European Commission. To meet UK climate targets, the Government must end this practice and introduce charges on producers of greenhouse gas emissions.
More details
A ‘carbon charge’ would encourage industries and organisations to reduce their carbon emissions, and could raise billions for the UK economy. The Government can ensure the charge does not unfairly impact those who cannot afford to pay by using some of the money raised to support low income households through the low-carbon transition. The UK should also utilise its position as host of COP26 and the G7 summit to drive global progress on carbon pricing.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Parliament debated this topic
This topic was debated on 1 November 2021
Government responded
This response was given on 30 March 2021
In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050 and the Government remains committed to maintaining an ambitious carbon price.
Read the response in full
The Government remains committed to maintaining an ambitious carbon price to ensure that polluters continue to pay for their emissions.
The UK has now launched its own Emissions Trading System (ETS) to replace membership of the EU ETS. This will be the world’s first net zero cap and trade market, delivering a robust carbon price signal and promoting cost-effective decarbonisation by allowing businesses to cut carbon where it is cheapest to do so.
The UK ETS covers emissions from power generation, energy intensive industries and aviation. Alongside this, the Carbon Price Support rate on fossil fuels used in electricity generation will ensure that a strong decarbonisation signal is maintained to ensure a downwards trajectory in power sector emissions as we push to fully drive out coal.
The 2020 Energy White Paper committed to exploring expanding the UK ETS to the two thirds of emissions not currently covered by the UK ETS, and set out our aspirations to continue to lead the world on carbon pricing in the run up to COP26 and beyond.
The UK Government is also determined to tackle air pollution given its significant negative impact on public health, the economy and the environment. Air quality has improved significantly over recent decades thanks to the action we have already taken.
The Government continues to take action to reduce emissions and improve air quality through the vehicle tax system. Users of zero and ultra-low emission vehicles have beneficial Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and company car tax (CCT) rates in comparison to conventionally fuelled vehicles. To improve air quality, new diesel models that do not meet the Real Driving Emissions 2 (RDE2) standard for nitrogen oxide emissions have also gone up by one VED band on first registration and the CCT supplement for diesel cars that do not meet the latest RDE2 standard has increased from 3 to 4%.
To tackle climate change and improve air quality the Government will also be removing the entitlement to use red diesel from most sectors from April 2022. This means that most businesses using diesel across the UK will need to use fuel taxed at the standard rate for diesel, which more fairly reflects the harmful impact of the emissions they produce.
The European Commission’s figure of €10.5bn for UK subsidies to fossil fuels comes from the report “Energy prices and costs in Europe” which uses OECD inventory methodology as a basis for its findings. This is a broader concept of support than that of the International Energy Agency, which the UK follows. It references a broader range of support measures, including many that do not reduce consumer prices below world market levels. Such mechanisms are classified as support without reference to the purpose for which they were first put in place or their economic or environmental effects. The OECD is clear that they therefore make no judgement as to whether or not such measures are inefficient or ought to be reformed.
To be clear, the UK does not give any subsidies to fossil fuels and is a longstanding supporter of multilateral efforts to promote fossil fuel subsidy reform since these were first proposed in 2009, including through the G20, & the G7. We support the G20 commitment to rationalise and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies across the globe and see clear benefits in doing so.
In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to legislate to end our net contribution to climate change by 2050. The government also accepted the Committee for Climate Change’s recommendation that the Treasury should undertake a review into the costs of transitioning to Net Zero. The Interim Report, published in December 2020, is the first publication from the Treasury’s Net Zero Review. It is a discussion document that sets out the analysis so far and seeks feedback ahead of the Final Report, due in spring 2021. The Final Report will take this analysis further, focusing on innovation and growth, competitiveness, household impacts, and embedding the findings.
HM Treasury
Related activity
Share your experiences of air pollution in your local area
On Tuesday 27 April, Munira Wilson MP is leading a debate on air pollution.
While air pollution in London in particular will be discussed, Munira wants to know how air pollution has affected you and your local area, wherever you are in the UK.
She may quote your contribution directly during her debate, so please don't share anything you wouldn't want to be made public.
Find out more and share your experiences with Munira here: https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/air-pollution-in-london/index.html
You’ll be able to watch the debate from 4.50pm on Tuesday 27 April on this page. The debate transcript and other relevant material will be accessible shortly after the debate.
The deadline for contributions is midday on Monday 26 April.
Please note that this debate is separate from any work the Petitions Committee may do on this petition. For more information on how petitions work, visit: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/sign-a-petition/e-petitions/
What are Westminster Hall debates?
Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Any MP can take part in a Westminster Hall debate.
Debates in Westminster Hall take place on ‘general debate' motions expressed in neutral terms. These motions are worded ‘That this House has considered [a specific matter]'.
MPs publish report following findings of Climate Assembly UK
The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee (a group of MPs who scrutinise the work of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) published a report last month on how the Government has responded to the UK's first citizens' assembly on climate change.
In the report MPs on the Committee said that the Government should follow the principles set out by Climate Assembly UK and ensure fairness underpins the transition to net zero.
Read an interactive summary of the report:
https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/climate-assembly-beis-committee/index.html
Read the full report:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmbeis/546/54602.htm
The Committee’s report, ‘Climate Assembly UK: where are we now?’, makes a series of recommendations to Government on public engagement and education, on deliberative democracy, and on the net zero transition, in order to capitalise on the work of Climate Assembly UK (CAUK).
The report urges the Government to come forward with the Net Zero Review as a matter of priority, and to do so along with the Net Zero Strategy, to ensure there is genuine consultation and engagement with the public, businesses and industry to drive forward efforts to decarbonise.
Climate Assembly UK
Climate Assembly UK (CAUK) was the first UK-wide citizens’ assembly on climate change, called by six Select Committees of the House of Commons to examine potential pathways to achieve the Government’s net zero target to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The outcomes of the Assembly’s discussions were presented in a report published last September, which you can read here: https://www.climateassembly.uk/report/
What happens next?
The Government now must respond to the Committee's report, which was published on 8 July 2021, within two months. The Committee will publish the Government’s response here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/365/business-energy-and-industrial-strategy-committee/
What is the BEIS Committee?
The BEIS Committee is a cross-party group of MPs who scrutinise the policy, spending and administration of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and its public bodies, including Ofgem, the Financial Reporting Council and the Climate Change Committee. The Committee is independent of the Government.
Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work: https://twitter.com/CommonsBEIS
The BEIS Committee is a select committee. Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c
MPs to debate COP26 and the impact of air pollution on public health and wellbeing
MPs will hold a debate on COP26 and the impact of air pollution on public health and wellbeing on Tuesday 2 November in Westminster Hall. The debate will be led by Barry Sheerman MP.
This will be a general debate. General debates allow MPs to debate important issues, however they do not end in a vote nor can they change the law.
The debate will start at 4.30pm and last for up to an hour.
Watch the debate: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/91537f1c-b8c5-4193-8cf0-fdaac1d25a58
You'll be able to read a transcript of the debate a few hours after it happens: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-11-02
Find out more about how Parliamentary debates work:
https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/debates/
You can also sign up to the UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference: https://learning.parliament.uk/en/your-uk-parliament-newsletter-sign-up-form/