Liberal Party chairman confirms CO2 tax on agriculture

Part of a future CO2 tax in agriculture will be imposed on the production chain, Liberal Party chairman, Minister for Economic Affairs Jakob Ellemann-Jensen told several media ahead of a meeting Monday evening with representatives from the Liberal Party’s constituency in Kolding. According to Ellemann-Jensen, part of the tax should be placed on production, because this is necessary if production is to be reoriented in a greener direction. “Of course, this must be done in such a way that we actually ensure that as few people as possible pay this tax,” he told DR. Recently, several Liberal profiles in the media have expressed their opinion on a CO2 tax on agricultural production. Members are far from unanimous on whether this is a good idea or not. Many farmers fear that production could be hit hard if it is subject to a CO2 tax. The Liberal Party is originally an agricultural party, which is why the issue of a climate tax has aroused major internal discussions in the party.
     Ellemann-Jensen would not say how much of the tax should be on production, as there are many considerations to be taken into account. Among other things, that emissions do not move out of Denmark and that no jobs are sent out of the country. Part of the government’s policy is that there should be a climate tax on agriculture. The tax will help ensure that Denmark reaches the climate targets agreed in the Climate Act. Among other things, it says that Denmark must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent, compared to 1990 emissions, and that Denmark must be climate neutral by 2050 at the latest. Agriculture accounts for approximately one third of Danish greenhouse gas emissions. /ritzau/