If we aim to save the planet, surely the last thing we want is more overseas trade. Instead we should be investing in low- and zero-carbon food and goods, produced and consumed locally, and preferably owned locally too.
Following this logic, if/when we Leave the EU, rather than focus on new trade deals, we should apply tariffs based on the total carbon footprint of the inbound products. No offsetting, and including all components. This will, I suspect, require regulation going beyond current EU rules, and we should welcome that.
This is a challenge for Remainers also. The free movement of goods is one of the EU's bedrock 'four freedoms,' and I have never seen an analysis of the carbon cost of that 'freedom'. It will admittedly be difficult to move the bloc to zero carbon trade. But if that can be achieved it would be far better for the earth than the UK going it alone. And, remaining, we could veto new deals with distant parts of the world.
Eventually, we may have ultra-low carbon mass transport (airships? yachts?), but we don't have them now, and we need to act urgently.
Tuesday, 5 November 2019
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