SMEs: Net-zero Targets Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateLord Trees
Main Page: Lord Trees (Crossbench - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Trees's debates with the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
(1 year, 5 months ago)
Lords ChamberMy noble friend makes a good point. Of course, carbon offsetting is a controversial area. We must ensure that any offsetting that takes place is genuine, viable and reduces real-world carbon production.
My Lords, because the net-zero metric does not include all the emissions associated with imported products, does the Minister agree that we must bear in mind our total carbon footprint on any activity in the UK which uses imports, so that we are not unnecessarily exporting our emissions? That would be of no help whatsoever in combating global warming.
I agree. Carbon leakage is an important problem, and one of the reasons why a number of the larger industries are subject to international competition, as the noble Lord mentioned. We give them free permit allocations under the emissions trading system.