Petition on introducing carbon charges across the economy debated in Parliament
On Monday 1st November 2021, MPs debated our petition relating to charges on carbon emissions.
Catherine McKinnell MP, Chair of the Petitions Committee, opened the debate with a fantastic statement that captured all the campaign's key arguments for the Government to strengthen, expand and make fairer its approach to pricing carbon emissions.
MPs from all parties took part in the debate and there were a number of key contributions by members, including from Jerome Mayhew MP (Conservative), Alan Brown MP (SNP) and Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour).
These covered the potential for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to help ensure that the emissions embodied in UK trade are effectively priced, and the importance of designing carbon charges in a way that supports a just transition to net zero and protects vulnerable households from cost impacts.
Lucy Frazer MP, the Minister in attendance, was also quizzed about the Government's timetable for delivering on its pledge to align its existing carbon pricing scheme - the UK ETS - with the pathway to the Sixth Carbon Budget, and how the Government intends to address the costs of net zero for consumers.
Although her responses did not provide us with any new information, Minister Frazer did reiterate the Government's intention to bring forward a consultation on a net zero consistent UK ETS cap, and explore expansion of the ETS to the two thirds of emissions that are currently uncovered.
All in all, it was a detailed discussion that covered all the key issues raised by the petition and highlighted the public support that exists for policy that makes going green the most affordable and accessible option for consumers.
As several of the members noted, it was a shame that so many who might usually speak on this topic were not able to attend due to COP26, but we sincerely hope the arguments will start to trickle through Westminster, as they are building internationally in Glasgow.
You can read the outtakes from the debate via our Twitter thread below:
Or, if you want to see the debate in full, you can stream it on YouTube or read the debate transcript.
You can also refer to the Petitions Committee’s Debate Research Briefing for background on the issues discussed.