WE ARE Island Britain. We are self-sufficient. At least in the imagination of the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales.
Its report, zerocarbonbritain, outlines how we can reduce carbon emissions to zero within 20 years and imagines a Britain that is self-sufficient in energy and food. It’s achievable, the report says, through “powering down” and “powering up”. This means reducing the amount of energy we use by 50 per cent and tapping into our natural resources – wind and the seas – for renewable energy.
“Zero-carbon Britain is scientifically necessary, socially possible and technically achievable –we must now make it politically thinkable,” says Paul Allen, the centre’s development director and co-author of the report.
The cornerstone of the centre’s vision are tradeable energy quotas (TEQs), which function as “a kind of parallel currency”. They will be allocated free to households and sold through auction to business. But every year, there are fewer TEQs, so people will learn to make low and zero-carbon choices. Those with surplus TEQs will be able to sell them.
At least, that’s the idea. And the Local Government Information Unit hopes to make such schemes a reality. It is funding a carbon budget and trading scheme, to be launched next year, and is calling for local authorities to join in. Each council that joins will be issued with tradeable carbon permits allocated according to their activities. Like TEQs, these too will decline annually, while their prices will rise, to encourage each council to stay within its carbon budget. Although the scheme is aimed at councils, it will be open to other organisations – including the private sector, the public sector and community groups. www.zerocarbonbritain.com www.lgiu.gov.uk