Should 'personal carbon allowances' be introduced in rich countries?

In 2020, French deputies Delphine Batho and François Ruffin proposed introducing a maximum quota of air kilometers per person per year to reduce CO2 emissions. Photo: AFP

The idea of setting a threshold for carbon emissions per person, on a country-wide basis is not exactly new but it has never really been implemented or even tested on a large scale. However an international team of researchers believes that the acceleration of the climate crisis, technological progress and the context of a pandemic are particularly favourable for testing this type of measure.

The idea is likely to have some people up in arms. But in light of the effects of the climate crisis and the urgent need to cool the planet, the concept of individual carbon allowances is being reintroduced and subjected to debate. In concrete terms, and as the name suggests, introducing individual carbon quotas means setting a precise carbon footprint per individual on a city or country scale.