Personal carbon trading: A stepwise approach to implementation

Abstract

If negative effects of anthropogenic climate change are to be minimized, downstream policies play an important role. This mixed-methods study investigates to what extent the feasibility of implementation of Personal Carbon Trading (PCT) could be increased through prior introduction of Personal Carbon Accounting (PCA). The main barriers to the implementation of PCT, and the extent to which PCA, as a preparatory stage in a stepwise policy approach can contribute to overcoming these, are investigated with a focus on the Netherlands. The study finds that while PCA can help create favorable conditions for implementing PCT, important barriers remain.