Emissions Trading Scheme opens in UK

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The Emissions Trading Scheme starts in London today, headed by a former
head of Shell.

He appeared quietly confident that this was in tune with market forces and
would develop over the coming years into an adjunct to taxation, but with
the market setting the level of the carbon tax.

He also expressed confidence that the USA would join in with the principles
of the scheme in due course.

The scheme appears to have started with 34 companies, which from the
website appear to be:

Asda Stores Ltd
Barclays Bank plc
Battle McCarthy Carbon Club
Blue Circle Industries plc
British Airways plc
British Sugar plc
BP plc
Budweiser Stag Brewing Company Ltd
Dalkia plc
Dana UK Holdings Ltd
Dupont (U.K.) Ltd
EGNI (Wales) Ltd
First Hydro Company
Ford Motor Company Ltd
General Domestic Appliances Ltd
GKN (U.K.) plc
Imerys Minerals Ltd
Ineos Fluor Ltd
Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Land Securities plc
Lend Lease Real Estate Investment Services Ltd
Marks & Spencer plc
Mitsubishi Corporation UK plc
Motorola GTSS
The Natural History Museum
Quantum Gas Management
Rhodia Organique Fine Ltd
Rolls-Royce plc
Royal Ordnance plc
Shell UK Ltd
Somerfield Stores Ltd
Tesco Stores Ltd
UK Coal Mining Ltd
Wates Group

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/trading/index.htm

This appears to be a pilot EU scheme, under the heading "learning by
doing". It has been backed by government money, and appears to have the
support of some significant voices of UK finance capitalism.

It is suggestive of the highly socialised and abstract nature of finance
capital.

It appears to be consistent with the movement emphasised in "Empire", from
a society of punishment to a society of control. There seems to be an
assumption that state guided market like this could develop world-wide.
Interestingly it has links to the European commitment to Kyoto.

Not a hint of anti-Americanism.


Chris Burford

London