Officials in Sweden and Germany are discussing imposing a tax on consumable meat to combat 'climate change' following a new IPCC report encouraging a plant-based diet, according to local media.
Politicians claim they hope to reduce CO2 emissions and improve animal welfare with a forced reduction in meat consumption.
"German politicians are speaking out in favor of raising the VAT on meat in a bid to improve animal welfare and cut CO2 emissions," the Local Germany reports.
"The decision makers want to raise the tax to the standard VAT, or 19 percent, up from the current seven percent that consumers are required to pay for meat products."
Sweden may be looking to Germany as inspiration for their own similar ideas.
"Food production and forestry are fundamental to society," said Markku Rummukainen, Swedish representative to the UN Climate Panel. "Protein from the plant kingdom has much less impact on the climate than protein from the animal kingdom. How to produce one or the other also plays a role, of course."
"In order to achieve the global climate targets, measures and solutions are also needed in agriculture and forestry and measures in the entire food system. Many of these measures will provide benefits in other areas, such as food and energy security."
The IPCC report claims that Western countries could aid in reducing the impact on 'climate change' upon "500 million people [who] live in desert-prone areas" by reducing meat intake.
"Given that Germany is now considering increased VAT on meat, it makes me think that a meat tax will again be raised on the Swedish agenda," said SVT commentator Erika Bjerström.
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