Report

A sustainability charge on meat

This study, commissioned by the True Animal Protein Price Coalition (TAPP Coalition), sets out a proposal for a policy package to incentivize the farming sector to reduce its environmental footprint and encourage consumers to adopt a more sustainable diet. Without appropriate financial policies, in the form of taxes or subsidies, the earnings model of sustainable agriculture and livestock farming is constrained. It is desirable, furthermore, that the policy package is equitable and does not lead to a disproportionately high financial burden for lower-income households. The study reflects two of the core premises the Dutch government has set for the Climate Agreement:

  1. Use of cost-effective policy instruments, and
  2. Equitable allocation of costs and benefits.

In the ‘EU summary’, we present a rough, exploratory analysis of introducing a meat sustainability charge on a European scale. In this 2-pager, the indicative European results are summarized and elaborated on with an indication of effects on meat consumption in Europe in 2030.

Authors

Co-authors

With contributions from: Geraldo Vidigal (UVA, legal aspects), Frits van der Schans (CLM, side-effects of climate measures and financial incentives for herd reduction)