Personal Carbon Trading—Lost in the Policy Primeval Soup?

Abstract

The number of emission trading and carbon taxation schemes implemented has grown rapidly over the past decade. Together, they cover approximately 16% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Although more than two-thirds of global GHG emissions are related to household consumption, approaches that directly target households, such as personal carbon trading (PCT), do not play a role in the fight against climate change. This is especially puzzling as measures taken so far are not sufficient to reach the 2 °C target. One clue to solving this puzzle comes from political science in the form of the multiple streams approach, which defines criteria that a policy proposal must meet to become part of the political agenda. Based on these criteria, this article conducts a systematic review on PCT to clarify why PCT does not play a role in the reduction of GHG emissions. The results show that there are three main problems with the PCT proposal. First, scholars often criticize the set-up costs as well as the running costs of such a system. Second, there is no clear consensus within the research community on public acceptance of PCT. Third, it is still unclear whether politicians are receptive to PCT or not.

Simulating Personal Carbon Trading (PCT) with an Agent-Based Model (ABM): Investigating Adaptive Reduction Rates and Path Dependence

“…These two proposals, Tradable Energy Quotas and Personal Carbon Allowances, are the most discussed PCT proposals [11]; nonetheless, other PCT proposals have been brought forward by researchers [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. As these contributions investigated optimal designs for PCT schemes, others have investigated the public acceptance of a PCT scheme [19] and how to best integrate a PCT scheme into policy agendas [20][21][22]. Most recently, Fuso Nerini et al [3] proposed combining a personal carbon allowance with artificial intelligence to extend the concept to goods and services and make the policy more efficient.…”

Natural Energy Stored in Groundwater Deposits as a New Way of Obtaining Green Energy for Urban Planners, Architects and Environmentalists

“…Regulations on the reduction of CO 2 emissions introduced by the European Union force numerous changes dictated by economic factors and related to environmental protection [2][3][4]. To reduce CO 2 emissions, the EU has introduced a system related to CO 2 emission allowances (ETS) [5][6][7]. The aim of these activities is to reduce CO 2 emissions and use more environmentally friendly technologies in EU countries [8][9][10].…”

Effects of Pro-Ecological Investments on an Example of the Heating Industry—Case Study

“…The EU Emission Trading System (ETS) has been introduced in the European Union. It aims to reduce carbon emissions in industry by requiring companies to hold a permit for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted [1][2][3][4]. Companies are required to purchase permits through an auction system.…”