Carbon Trading: The Good & Bad Sides

By Maria Swanson

One of the greatest offenders of pollution are carbon emissions, just one of the causes of global warming. Authorities are doing their best to find means to address the growing concern of the public for global warming, and as such, are centering their attention on the deliberation on carbon trading.

Carbon trading works easily enough, conceptually. A government authority lets businesses to purchase a limited amount of carbon credits in the form of a share or allotment. Businesses can use this allotment for carbon emissions without getting fined. However, should the business run out of credits but still requires to release carbon emissions, they are then responsible for finding another business that would trade them a carbon credit they may use. This process is called carbon trading, which will simultaneously lessens polluting resources.

This completely follows the idea that businesses are likely to create less pollution if there is a fine each time they pollute. These regulations are less scary than the standard way of levying taxes. It is a win-win situation that allows politicians to create a working platform while businesses transition to a greener world concurrently also.

Proponents would see carbon trading as a better method to other initiatives like carbon taxes. Unlike the other ideas, it does not require as much government involvement. Even environmentalists agree on the idea of free market environmentalism. It gives businesses more options than the other regulations do, and at the same time it is cheaper for businesses than paying for a carbon tax.

Naysayers however, say if you like your local Internal Revenue Service, you will most likely like the idea of carbon training. Because there are no standards & rules to date, they argue that carbon trading will be drafted by faceless administrative officials who won't be responsible for the problems or costs they will produce for businesses that have to follow what will be dictated to them by carbon trading.

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