Petition · past parliament · HM Treasury
Apply a carbon tax to all imported food that is proportional to food miles
Closed
45 signatures
What the petition asks
The Government recently rejected proposals for a 'meat tax' proposed as a way of cutting carbon emissions. This was great news, as it could have harmed British farmers and the climate. A plant-based diet can be more harmful than a mixed diet if fruit and veg are imported and not grown domestically.
This tax would encourage purchase of locally produced, seasonally available food. This will help support British farmers (who produce, on average, 2.5 times less CO2 than the global average) and reduce fossil fuels used to import food. Burning fossil fuels releases CO2 into the atmosphere, but the CO2 emitted raising meat and dairy animals can form part of a carbon cycle. The grasslands they live on are carbon sinks, such that some livestock farms are close to achieving carbon neutrality.
Timeline
| 16 Feb 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 16 Aug 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
45
Status
Closed
Department
HM Treasury
Opened
16 Feb 2021
Closed
16 Aug 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.