The German supermarket chain Penny has launched a new campaign to introduce a ‘climate tax’ on several food products.
Over the course of a week, the price of nine different products, mainly dairy and meat, will be significantly increased in all 2,000+ Penny stores in Germany.
The price of sausages, for example, will increase from €3.19 to €6.01, the price of mozzarella will increase by 74% to €1.55 and the price of fruit yoghurt will increase by 31% to €1.56. These price increases represent the “real prices” of the products, the chain claims, when taking into account the “impact on the climate” and other environmental factors, The Guardian reports.
To establish these ‘real’ prices, Penny has collaborated with researchers from the Nuremberg University of Technology and the University of Greifswald.
– We need to put out the uncomfortable message that the prices of our foodstuffs which are accrued along the supply chain in no way reflect the environmental on-costs, said Stefan Görge, chief operating officer at Penny, in a statement to German media.
