March 8, 2007

UK Environmental Secretary Supports Carbon Quotas for Car-Owners

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The UK’s Environment Secretary, David Miliband, is trying to persuade the EU to extend its emissions-trading scheme to the roads, the Epoch Times reports. If successful, car-owners could be given a carbon allowance which they could extend by buying surplus credits from other road-users whose own emissions fall below their allocated quota.

Miliband said that in order to deliver a low-carbon transport policy the EU must also extend the scheme to road-users.

“Britain only accounts for two per cent of global CO2 emissions and only a fifth of this comes from road transport,” said Paul Biggs, spokesman for the Association of British Drivers.

In January, officials in Richmond, a London suburb with few provate garages and driveways, started basing annual parking fees on how much carbon dioxide a car emits.

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Reader Comments

Why are we building more runways and expanding airports on one hand yet penalising the motorist again (http://www.uk-airport-news.info/heathrow-airport-news-210907a.htm).

If, as stated by Mr Miliband, car owners can buy surplus credits, then it can only be seen as a tax and an inconvenience.

I’m all for environmental responsibility but this seems to be an economically convenient decision that pays lip service to real environmental concerns.

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