Equal emissions per capita over time – a proposal to combine responsibility and equity of rights for post-2012 GHG emission entitlement allocation

Abstract

Any effective future climate policy regime based on the Kyoto Protocol requires the determination of the concrete contribution regarding time and quantity for each party. Based on the two justice principles, responsibility and equity of rights, that form the basis for the so-called Brazilian Proposal and Contraction and Convergence respectively, a new approach is developed: future emission rights are allocated on the basis of equal emissions per capita over time. By so doing not only are emissions per capita (EPC) taken into account during the allocation but also their evolution over time. This may result in negative quantities of emission rights for some parties due to their historical ‘burden’. On the other hand, parties with low EPC would be allocated large amounts of ‘fair air’. Even though this approach may currently lack political support by powerful parties, it offers another analytical reference point for the political bargaining process on future allocations. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.