U.K. committee supports personal carbon trading.

• Author: Block, Ben
• Position: EYE ON EARTH - House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee - Brief article

A United Kingdom House of Commons committee has suggested that Parliament create a personal carbon-trading scheme for all U.K. citizens. It was the strongest statement yet by any government in favor of an individual cap-and-trade system for buying and selling greenhouse gas emissions.

Personal carbon trading would provide a set carbon-emissions allowance to each citizen and establish a national carbon budget. Individuals could trade carbon credits with one another on a designated carbon market if they chose to purchase additional energy or to partake in some activity that would push their emissions beyond the allowed limit.

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Members of some groups, such as people with disabilities, larger families, or older citizens, may be granted larger allowances. The biggest challenge, the committee says, would be developing the bureaucracy needed to monitor each person's carbon footprint.

While acknowledging implementation difficulties, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee said such a system would reduce greenhouse gas...