PERSONAL CARBON ALLOWANCES

Personal carbon allowances (also known as rations, quotas or entitlements) would be a mandatory system. Individuals would contribute to making the necessary national savings in an equitable and effective way. By covering household energy use and all personal travel, including carbon equivalent emissions from travel by air, about half of the UK's carbon emissions would be covered... Carbon allowances would work like this: each adult would receive an equal allowance, with children receiving a lower share. The annual allowance would reduce over the years to make the necessary national savings. Allowances would be issued for free, and would be tradable. So, those who lived a thrifty lifestyle would be able to make money by selling their spare quota and people with more carbon intensive lives could buy more. Trading would be a vital part of the system given that some people's carbon emissions today are many times those of others. Trading is the necessary complement to equal shares... This..