Personal Carbon Trading

The House of Commons on onboard, carbon emissions are getting personal:

Personal carbon trading would provide a set “carbon emissions allowance” to each citizen and establish a national carbon budget. Individuals would then be able to trade their carbon credits with one another on a designated carbon market if they chose to purchase additional energy or to partake in activities that would exceed the allowed emissions limit, such as riding a plane.

The House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee urged the U.K. government to make a greater commitment to personal carbon trading, theirreport says. While acknowledging implementation difficulties, the committee said such a system would reduce greenhouse gas emissions more effectively than a carbon tax or the currently employed cap-and-trade system for business and industry.

(reported at WorldChanging)