Carbon Credit

[Putney]

Clicky

Ministers should go ahead with the idea of personal "carbon credits" to meet emissions targets, MPs have said.

The Environmental Audit Committee said the scheme would be more effective than taxes for cutting carbon emissions.

The committee's report criticised the government for shelving the proposal following a preliminary study.

Under the scheme people would be given an annual carbon limit for fuel and energy use - which they could exceed by buying credits from those who use less.

'No barrier'

The MPs admitted the public were likely to be opposed to the move, but urged the government to be "courageous".

Their report said: "Persuading the public depends on perceptions of the government's own commitment to reducing emissions, and of the priority given to climate change in it's own decision making."

It added: "Further work is needed before personal carbon trading can be a viable policy option and this must be started urgently, and in earnest.

"In the meantime there is no barrier to the government developing and deploying the policies that will not only prepare the ground for personal carbon trading, but will ensure its effectiveness and acceptance once implemented."

'Radical idea'

Committee chairman Tim Yeo said it found that personal carbon trading had "real potential to engage the population in the fight against climate change and to achieve significant emissions reductions in a progressive way".

He said "green" taxes, such as a petrol tax, cost poor people more because everyone - "billionaires and paupers" - paid the same amount.

"Under the personal carbon trading, someone who perhaps doesn't have an enormous house or swimming pool, someone who doesn't take several holidays in the Caribbean every year, will actually get a cash benefit if they keep a low carbon footprint."

He said it could be administered by the private sector, following the model of supermarket loyalty schemes in which a complex computer system is accessed by a "single plastic card".

Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock said work on personal carbon trading had not been completely abandoned.

"We have simply decided not to undertake further work paid for by the taxpayer when a number of other studies are under way," she said.

[v3rmin]

good idea if it actually does what it says on the tin.

[Putney]

Rich can buy more credit! poor people going to get owned!

[v3rmin]

Sorry mate am i reading it wrong?

He said "green" taxes, such as a petrol tax, cost poor people more because everyone - "billionaires and paupers" - paid the same amount. That would be the current tax sceme

"Under the personal carbon trading, someone who perhaps doesn't have an enormous house or swimming pool, someone who doesn't take several holidays in the Caribbean every year, will actually get a cash benefit if they keep a low carbon footprint." new sceme

Also

"It's more progressive than taxation, it tends to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor; it's transparent; it's easy for everyone to understand, you all get the same carbon ration.

sounds ok to me unless i am being thick

Edited May 26, 2008 by v3rmin

[Boy'dup]

Sorry mate am i reading it wrong?

That would be the current tax sceme

new sceme

sounds ok to me unless i am being thick

you are its scheme mate

i dont really get it either... please explain boobman

little chris

xxx

[v3rmin]

you are its scheme mate

Sorry only 5 hrs sleep last night

[Putney]

But how are poor people going to able to drive to work? Driving is going to be the most expensive thing... They are not going to drop the duty on petrol now are they! Road tax. petrol... Parking fee's... They have just introduced road parking schemes in Laberth and I think islington to residents parking to the engine size of the car they park outside their house.... People are having to pay more to park their cars out side their house! It's not as if they leave it parked with the engine on now is it!

So basically the cost of having a car is going to be massive! They want people off the roads and onto public transport... The wealthy people are always going to find ways of paying for an luxury item! The poor people are always hit the hardest!

[v3rmin]

I understand but i think what their saying is if someone has a big house 5 cars and a swimming pool they should pay more 'carbon credits' than someone with a 1 bed flat and a fiat shitashento. Sounds like a good idea but very complicated to work out.

They would drop petrol tax (to an extent) for another type of tax which was like the 'pay per mile' they were on about last year. Tax pricies will enevitably rise anyway with the ball ache that is inflation.

I live in wales to get a bus to work would cost £4.00 return per day. It's costs me £1.50 to take my car (even if you factor in running costs it's not worth it), so why would i pay more to sit on a smelly bus with mentalists ?

Anyway iv'e lost my train of thought but i think any tax 'scheme' which easest the strain of lower earners, especially in area's like da wales or places public transport is crap is a good thing.

Just my 2p

[dougless]

The communists in government are determined to turn us into a 3rd world country.

I wish they were communists, we might have some real vision and real socialism then. This lot are the 'friends of big business' and they clearly don't care for majority of people in this country or common sense for that matter.

This carbon allowance is ok in theory but will be extremely complex to administer. For complex, read extraordinarily expensive. If it would make people think about how they use this valuable resource called oil I would be all for it. It would be great to see the profligate growth of air travel limited and the greedy return something to the needy.

Edited May 26, 2008 by dougless

[Putney]

I think the car tax scheme... Pay to drive is actually a good idea... My S2000 will be £415 tax next year.... I would rather have it as pay as you go... I drive the Passat most of the time at the moment.....

[Putney]

I think they should tax people less and companies more....

Shell made 2million quid every minute last year!

[jamiea7x]

I think they should tax people less and companies more....

Shell made 2million quid every minute last year!

if companies get taxed more tehyll just put their prices up

so thats not really a viable option either

[heartagram]

Carbon this and green that.

damn this, lets all go live in a pod on the moon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIQ9HrrHVZk

Edited May 26, 2008 by heartagram

[Fran]

This is getting stupid now.

Me & Ben would be shafted - I do at least 25,000 miles a year with my new job - he does even more than that with the travelling he has to do as part of his job. I guess I could move closer to work but why should I have to? I thought this was a free country.

I'm going to have to sell my nice house, move back in with my parents and work for tesco - as thats the only type of job that seems to be available locally.

Thanks for screwing me over mr brown. Anyone with a bit of ambition seems to have endless roadblocks put in their way.

[Putney]

Well they are not getting my vote....

Yeah it seems to be very restrictive to those that actually work...

[matt~black]

great for dole dossers so does that mean they'll knock off the tax from fuel etc or just rape ya on fuel and rape u on carbon taxing i really need to save some dough and damn off to nz

[Putney]

great for dole dossers so does that mean they'll knock off the tax from fuel etc or just rape ya on fuel and rape u on carbon taxing i really need to save some dough and damn off to nz

No tax on petrol are you mad? £560 000 000 worth of tax on petrol went to the government this weekend!

[AndyW]

Me & Ben would be shafted - I do at least 25,000 miles a year with my new job - he does even more than that with the travelling he has to do as part of his job. I guess I could move closer to work but why should I have to?

The thing is, some employers will adjust their wages to suit for those that must drive during their working day, but many won't.

Does anyone think that the businesses that make UK PLC as healthy as it is are going to support such moves as this? No way.

[Putney]

Is there road tax to pay on helecopters? Might be cheaper to fly to work soon!

[M4T VW]

I think they should tax people less and companies more....

Shell made 2million quid every minute last year!

They do!

Its the ammount of tax you have to pay that puts all these small companies in the bin! It costs to even think about it.

If you make over x ammount as a company then yes, you should pay extra tax. But on the other foot, Take it off the small ones..

[Putney]

Do people think the government should give back some of this carbon tax to people who want to make carbon savings. i would love a couple of wind turbines and some solar panels... I would also happily plug in to the national grid to top that up over the energy i use..

free wind turbines and solar panel for everyone!

[Putney]

just found this....

http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/home/

grants a go go... wahoo!

[IDGM]

The grants are crap and it would take many years to get the money invested in the tech back. I know that isn't the point, but if the products aren't designed into the property to start with, then there is little point because the amount needed in one lump sum is too high. If they were interest free for 10 years, I'd do it.