Will we have to ration fuel, air travel or meat in the future in order to sufficiently reduce our CO2 emissions? This thorny question is the subject from a recent studypublished in the journal Ethics, Policy & Environment. Its authors, researchers from the University of Leeds (United Kingdom), recognize that tackling the subject is not easy. “In the words of Raj Patel – a British-born American economist – rationing is about as acceptable a topic of conversation as hemorrhoids. effective and equitable way of reducing our emissions”, they explain by way of preamble.
Provided, of course, that the terms and conditions are defined. Certain forms of rationing are already the subject of debate or measures on the ground. Several tourist destinations, such as Maya Bay in Thailand, already limit the number of tourists or sometimes prohibit them from entering in order to avoid excessive environmental degradation. And some specialists in our carbon footprint, such as Jean-Marc Jancovici, are already talking about a quota of four plane trips per person for life.
The British authors look at a strict form of rationing inspired by the Second World War. In the scenario they imagine, citizens would use a kind of bank card to control purchases of fuel, meat or even imported clothing. To introduce a form of equality in the effort, no exchangeable carbon credit system would be proposed. It is therefore impossible to pay in order to be able to “pollute” more.
But according to Corinne Gendron, researcher at the University of Quebec in Montreal and specialist in social acceptability, this approach has flaws. “Of course rationing was effective during the Second World War. But there is a real difference between creating scarcity from scratch and suffering from it in wartime. Eighty-five years ago, the people didn’t really have a choice. Today, our society is built on abundance and on the idea that everyone can more or less benefit from it. In such a context, it would be extremely difficult to impose a rationing”.
Do not forget the State and companies
Especially since this would divert the attention of certain major players in the transition, such as large companies or even the State, which still subsidizes fossil fuels. “A few years ago, the consulting firm Carbone 4 published a study clearly showing that if all French people adopted exemplary behavior, that they changed their car and heating system, this would only achieve a fraction necessary efforts to reduce our emissions. The bulk of the roadmap cannot therefore be based on individuals”, underlines the specialist.
The example of air travel on French territory shows this: if our country had extremely efficient rail links, it would be possible to consider eliminating journeys at altitude. Except that, for the moment, this replacement network does not exist. Similarly, if to get from one city to another, a trip takes twenty minutes by car and an hour and a half by train, who can blame the individuals who opt for their personal vehicle?
“I am uncomfortable with this individualization of responsibility, recognizes Corinne Gendron. The same rhetoric was used after the collapse of Rana Plaza in 2013. At that time, consumers were basically told: is your fault. You want cheap t-shirts so obviously, we can’t apply the right safety rules. But citizens have never wanted to put people’s lives in danger in order to get clothes.”
This is why, according to her, the restrictive measures intended to reduce our CO2 emissions must be used with precaution, taking into account the general opinion and daily comfort. As such, Finland conducted an interesting experiment in 2020. In the city of Lahti, each inhabitant could download a free mobility application that automatically detects the means of transport used. If the user replaced the car by walking or cycling, he won a sum in virtual currency exchangeable for local bus tickets, entrances to the swimming pool, bags…
The Covid epidemic, which has resulted in a sharp drop in urban journeys, unfortunately prevents the precise impact of this initiative from being estimated. But the resolutions of Lahti, well on its way to becoming Finland’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025, are intended to inspire other countries, including France. Just remember two figures: according to Ademe, the Environment and Energy Management Agency, a French person emits a little more than 11 tonnes of CO2 each year. However, this figure should be reduced to around 2 tonnes. An effort that seems out of reach for the moment.