Select committee: Public Accounts Committee

Conclusion 17

Forty-Sixth Report - Achieving Net Zero Published 5 Mar 2021 Addressed to HM Treasury
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We asked about the feasibility of a tax based on carbon embedded in imports (a carbon border adjustment tax) to reduce the risk of pushing emissions abroad. The Treasury told us that it was considering this as part of its net zero review. It explained that it needed to further investigate the proposal, particularly whether it would be effective in maintaining UK jobs and facilitating decarbonisation in the Global South, how it could be implemented and whether it would comply with World Trade Organisation rules. It explained that the European Commission was considering a carbon border adjustment tax and it expected to learn from this about how the UK could tackle the issue of imported carbon in future.31 30 Qq 20-21 31 Qq 21-22 14 Achieving Net Zero 2 Wider engagement Engaging with the general public

From: Public Accounts Committee, Forty-Sixth Report - Achieving Net Zero (HC 935), 5 March 2021

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 31 August 2021 (deadline 5 May 2021).

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