Fossil Fuels: Business

Lord Teverson Excerpts
Thursday 19th November 2020

(3 years, 11 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan (Con)
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They will contribute to that challenge, but we need a number of different technologies and methods to meet our legally binding commitment to net zero. The noble Lord is right in that respect, and the 10-point plan is a useful contribution towards that objective.

Lord Teverson Portrait Lord Teverson (LD)
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My Lords, energy-intensive industries can only go so far in getting energy efficiency right. There is therefore a risk of carbon leakage from these organisations offshoring elsewhere in the world, which does nothing for global climate change. Are the Government considering a carbon border tax, as some of our European friends are, to make sure that that offshoring does not happen?

Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan (Con)
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The noble Lord is right to highlight the difficulties of potential carbon leakage. There are many problems with a carbon border tax, of which the noble Lord will be aware—difficulties with the WTO, et cetera—but I leave announcements on taxes to the Chancellor.