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Carbon card scheme faces scrap

The government has pulled back from plans to test a nationwide carbon trading scheme that would compel citizens to carry a card to swipe every time they bought petrol or paid an electricity bill.

David Miliband, former environment secretary, first aired the idea in 2006, seeing it as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and tackle global warming.

But this week the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the idea was too expensive and would prove unpopular, after a feasibility study, which interviewed 92 people, found carbon rationing was ‘an idea ahead of its time’ in terms of its public acceptability and the technology to bring down costs.

The study estimated the scheme would cost up to 2 billion each year to administer.

In a statement, Defra said: "The government remains interested in the concept of personal carbon trading and, although it will not be continuing its research programme at this stage, it will monitor the wealth of research focusing on this area and may introduce personal carbon trading if the value of carbon savings and cost implications change."

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