Jessica |
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iCRAG – Agenda for first meeting 9 Oct 2006.
Here is an agenda for the meeting. John Ackers or I will act as chairperson for this first meeting and will do some introductory explanations, but the meeting is for us all to ask questions, discuss concerns and swap ideas, so please don’t be shy! We want to leave the meeting with an agreed and workable framework.
Agenda.1. Introductions. Who am I and why am I interested in joining a CRAG?
2. Why should we set up a carbon rationing group? (Jessica)
3. How do CRAGs work? (John)
4. The practicalities:
(1) Which emissions will we count? To keep it simple, we suggest that we focus on heating, electricity and transport emissions, including public transport.
(2) Which conversion factors shall we use? Should we decide to put a zero conversion factor on certain things e.g. Ecotricity or wood?
(3) We need to calculate or estimate our individual carbon footprints over the last year. (John will explain how we should go do this and give a link to the easy web calculator.)
(4) What target should we set for this year? Most groups seem to be going for 4500 kg CO2 per person in 2006/7.
(5) When should our carbon year begin? November or December?
(6) What penalty shall we have for holding carbon debt at the end of the carbon year? Most groups are currently going for 4 or 5 pence per kg CO2 debt.
(7) What should the group do with funds paid in as carbon debt?
(8) How will we keep track of our carbon over the year? Shall we elect a carbon accountant? How do we encourage mutual trust and honesty within the group?
(9) Is there anything else we should agree? Eg, should we have an optional cap to carbon debt?
5. Relax, get a drink and have a Big Ideas swap. What are our longer term aspirations for our CRAG? How do we see it developing?
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If you haven’t already, take a quick look at the CRAG central website
www.carbonrationing.org.uk
For ease of reference, I’ve made a short digest of some key information about CRAGs below.
Really looking forward to meeting you all tomorrow!
Jessica ———————————————————————————————————————————————————-CRAGS – a short introduction.
Aims of CRAGs.
1. To make us all aware of our personal CO2 footprint
2. To find out if it can help us make radical cuts in our personal CO2 emissions
3. To help us argue for (or against!) the adoption of similar schemes at a
national (DTQ) and/or international (C&C) level
4. To build up solidarity between a growing community of carbon conscious
people
5. To share practical knowledge, experience and skills for lower carbon living
The problem: 90% cuts needed by 2030.
In accordance with current calculations by climatologists of the overall global C02 reductions needed in order to stay within a level of global warming that we can cope with, the UK needs to cut its C02 emissions by 90% by 2030.
In 2003, the average UK citizen caused 5.4 tonnes of CO2 to enter the atmosphere.
These were due to: air travel (1.8t); household heating (1.5t); car use (1.0t); household electricity consumption (0.9t); other public transport use (0.2t).
These five categories make up our ‘personal’ CO2 emissions. Personal CO2
emissions make up about half of the UK’s total emissions. The other half is caused by businesses and the public sector.
A sustainable level of personal CO2 emissions may be as low as about 0.6t. This
represents a 90% reduction from today’s level. To achieve a 90% reduction in personal emissions by 2030 would require a rate of reduction of close to 10%
each year.
CRAGs: a personal scheme of contraction and convergence.
An international system for ensuring emissions reduction is essential. A concept called ‘contraction and convergence’ (‘C&C’) has been devised to provide the framework for such a system. C&C allows emission quotas for each nation on an equitable basis, which must be reduced and converge over time, with financial incentives and penalties to ensure compliance. C&C is becoming internationally recognised as a solution, although the British government is yet to support the principle.
The CRAGs scheme is a way for individuals to take action in accordance with the C&C principle, to start on our own 10% annual reduction in our emissions.
The scheme can cover all five of the personal emissions categories listed above: air travel, car use, public transport use, household heating and electricity. Each CRAG agrees a set emissions quota for its members, being a personal ration of carbon for each person to use over the coming year. So far most groups have settled for a ration of 4500 kg in 2006, representing approximately a 10% reduction on the average UK citizen’s current annual emissions.
The scheme operates on a trust basis whereby each member records their emissions. At the end of the year each member’s emissions are totted up and the CRAG works out who has lived within their ration or exceeded it, and by how much. Those who have exceeded their ration will pay a sum per excess kilogram into the group kitty to pay off their ‘carbon debt’, and, in principle, that would be divided up proportionately between ‘carbon creditors’ who have used less than their ration. The CRAG will need to have pre-agreed the sums to be paid per kg and what will happen to the money in the kitty (eg, you may prefer to pay it to a charity).