The Political Feasibility of Consumption-Based Carbon Accounting

ABSTRACT

A consumption-based inventory can represent a promising accounting method for more effective collective action against carbon emissions. However, the current scientific debate has not yet proposed comprehensive analyses of the political features of consumption-based accounting. In particular, the ultimate objective of this article is to investigate the political feasibility of consumption-based accounting. The article argues that political feasibility is fundamental for gaining support and eventually fostering the development of widely acceptable, stable and effective consumption-based accounting systems. Specifically, the article first briefly investigates the potential of consumption-based carbon inventories. It then frames and scrutinizes political feasibility according to the normative and positive perspectives relevant to understanding the actual possibility of shifting from the current production- to consumption-based accounting. Finally the article, in light of the evidence provided by the analysis carried out, takes a prescriptive turn and indicates how politically feasible governance systems for consumption-based accounting may be forged and successfully put into practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Climate change
• climate policy
• consumption-based carbon accounting
• political feasibility
• production-based carbon accounting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Marco Grasso, PhD., is Associate Professor of Political Geography at the University of Milan-Bicocca. His main research interests include international climate change policy and politics, and social vulnerability to climate change and human security.

ORCID

Marco Grasso http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6869-5959

Notes

1. It should be more specifically noted that production- and territorial-based carbon accounting systems are different. The former includes also emissions produced by a country's residents abroad, and is the system adopted under the UNFCCC. However, in what follows we use, consistently with the relevant literature, ‘production-based’ as synonymous with ‘territorial-based’ for the greater efficacy of the former in this context of analysis.

2. Available from: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenergy/c392-i/c39201.htm [accessed 28 September 2015].

3. See Note 2.

4. Available from: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-strategy/2030-energy-strategy [accessed 28 September 2015].