TEQs links

DEFRA pre-feasibility study into Personal Carbon Trading http://www.defra.gov.uk/.../ Having commissioned the Centre for Sustainable Energy's scoping study (Nov 2006), DEFRA conducted this pre-feasibility study into the TEQs concept (May 2008).

Responses to the DEFRA pre-feasibility study Official responses from The Lean Economy Connection (pdf) and the Centre for Sustainable Energy, as well as the IPPR's parallel research and the BBC's coverage of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee's full response. The Government's response to the EAC's comments (October 2008) can be found here.

Zero Carbon Britain http://www.zerocarbonbritain.com/ This report was published by the Centre for Alternative Technology in 2007, laying out the challenges we face and presenting a bold, radical vision of how Britain could eliminate carbon emissions altogether within 20 years. The suggested policy framework is built around Contraction and Convergence at the international level and TEQs at the national.

BBC Radio 4 (audio) http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/.../ In this 12 minute discussion of Peak Oil from BBC Radio 4's "You and Yours" programme (September 2008), John Hemming MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil and Gas explains why TEQs are the only just option for the UK Government.

Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research report (pdf) http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/.../ The Tyndall Centre are working to provide a detailed evaluation of the appropriateness of TEQs/DTQs as an instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, and produced this important report on the feasibility and implementation of the scheme in December 2005.

History and Policy paper http://www.york.ac.uk/.../ Historian Dr Mark Roodhouse of the University of York examines the example of wartime rationing and concludes that "the use of taxes alone to control consumption was rejected in the World Wars, and they would not achieve the quick, dramatic cut in carbon consumption that we need now to avert environmental disaster. Tradable carbon rations would have a real impact".

Resurgence article - Shaun Chamberlin http://www.darkoptimism.org/.../ Our own Shaun Chamberlin writes on the need for a framework to encourage local-level solutions to our energy/emissions crisis.

New Statesman article - Rowena Macdonald http://www.newstatesman.com/.../ Macdonald reports from the 2008 Climate Camp at Kingsnorth, and points Gordon Brown towards TEQs.

Guardian article - Polly Toynbee http://www.guardian.co.uk/.../ Toynbee derides the delay in implementing an idea described by DEFRA as "ahead of its time".

The Ecologist article - Dr. Stephan Harding http://www.theecologist.co.uk/.../ Harding's article addresses economic growth and the potential impact of TEQs on the global economy.

David Boyle article http://david-boyle.co.uk/.../ David Boyle looks back from 2021 to the day when TEQs were implemented in 2011!

Policy Studies Institute (pdf) http://www.psi.org.uk/.../ Simon Dresner and Paul Ekins compare the impacts of various proposed policies for controlling greenhouse gas emissions from transportation (including TEQs/DTQs), focusing on whether they are likely to benefit higher-income or lower-income households.

Australia - Ian Dunlop (pdf) http://www.aspo-australia.org.au/.../ A submission to the Australian Prime Ministerial Task Group on Emissions Trading by a former CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and former chair of both the Australian Coal Association and the Australian Greenhouse Office Experts Group on Emissions Trading.

Green Party of England and Wales (pdf) http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/.../ A briefing from the Green Party of England and Wales on their endorsement of the TEQs scheme, which is advocated in their 'Manifesto for a Sustainable Society'.

Carbon Reduction Action Groups (CRAGs) http://www.carbonrationing.org.uk/ CRAGs are growing networks of people trying to implement TEQs-type schemes voluntarily at the community level, without waiting for Government implementation.