Defra Secretary Michael Gove rejects idea of ‘crude’ meat tax to cut emissions

Mr Gove was quizzed on the issue by Wakefield MP Mary Creagh, who pointed out how important red meat is in a healthy diet, particularly for women and children.

The exchange between Ms Creagh and the Minister took place during Defra questions in the House of Commons last week, and was prompted by a recent report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) which recommended meat consumption be cut by 20 per cent in order to meet a net zero emissions by 2050 target.

The CCC recommendation comes in the wake of two other major reports from the Oxford Martin School and the Nuffield Department of Population Health, which called for a meat tax, and the EAT-Lancet Commission, which proposed a 50 per cent global reduction in red meat consumption.