The Experience of Carbon Rationing Action Groups: Implications for a Personal Carbon Allowances Policy

Personal Carbon Allowances (PCAs) have been proposed as a policy to facilitate reductions in individuals’ carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. A PCAs scheme would be a cap-and-trade system covering emissions from home energy use and personal transport. Many questions remain to be answered about the practical and psychological implications for individuals of a PCAs scheme and about how a policy could best be designed to maximise public acceptability and encourage emissions reductions. This study attempts to begin exploring such issues by examining the experience of members of Carbon Rationing Action Groups (CRAGs).

Carbon Rationing Action Groups are grassroots groups of concerned citizens who set themselves a voluntary carbon ration for the year and provide support and encouragement to members seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. Some groups have a price for carbon emitted in excess of the target, and even basic trading systems whereby under-emitters are rewarded using the financial penalties collected from over-emitters. These groups therefore operate the nearest scheme in existence to PCAs.