Growing number of Tory MPs join push for carbon levy on UK imports

With a carbon levy, overseas manufacturers in countries such as China would have an added incentive to cut their carbon footprints. Photograph: Avpics/Alamy

The prospect of higher taxes is not usually viewed with joy by British businesses, or Conservative MPs – but when it comes to carbon, that is precisely what many are asking for.

A growing number of manufacturers, Tory MPs and experts are calling for charges to be levied on the carbon emissions associated with imports. They believe the levy is needed to create a level playing field that would enable UK companies to invest in cutting their greenhouse gas emissions, without finding themselves undercut by lower-cost but higher-carbon imports from overseas.