Making the case for personal carbon rations

Tina Fawcett, University of Oxford

Keywords

carbon rationing, energy efficiency, households, personal transport, international air travel

Abstract

This paper sets out the case for equal personal carbon rations for household energy use and personal transport. It claims that rationing could provide a fair and effective mechanism to reduce carbon emissions.

Firstly the history of failure of energy efficiency over the past thirty years to deliver actual energy savings in the UK domestic sector is briefly reviewed. Recent policy is simply a continuation of previous policies with no guarantee that it will be any more successful. Further, the UK's apparent reduction in carbon emissions over the past ten years disappears if emissions from international air travel (currently excluded from emissions targets) are included. A new approach to energy and carbon emissions is required if real savings are to be made: carbon rationing could be that approach.

The case for carbon rationing in principle is summarised. However, the main focus is on the practical issues around introducing carbon rationing. New case study data on UK individuals' carbon emissions from household energy and personal transport is presented. This shows a very wide range of personal carbon emissions, varying by more than a factor of ten. The sources of variation, and particularly the importance of air travel, are discussed. The implications of this variation for a scheme of equal personal carbon rations are debated. Finally, other key questions about the practical implementation of personal rations are identified, and progress towards answering them is outlined.