FeeBate.net advocates a combination of fees and rebates to be implemented, in order to achieve specific market shifts.

Effective: The FeeBate is doubly effective in achieving a market shift; it works by charging a fee on something that is to be discouraged, while the proceeds are used to pay for rebates on better alternatives, thus helping these alternatives gain market share.

Ideology-neutral: The FeeBate platform can receive all-partisan support, because it doesn't favor one ideology over another. It merely accepts a problem on the basis of scientific evidence and it deals with it by imposing a fee on what causes the problem and using the proceeds of the fee to give a rebate on better alternatives.

Non-bureaucratic: The FeeBate policy minimizes the risk of money being wasted on bureaucracy or favoratism. The FeeBate automatically fades itself out as the problem disappears; rebates are best paid out on a first-come-first-go basis, as this pool of money will decrease as the desired shift takes shape.

Budget-neutral: The FeeBate platform can be implemented without budget revisions; proceeds from fee go directly to fund rebates, while all funding for the rebates is generated by the fees.

Adjustable: The FeeBate can be reviewed, say, on an annual basis, to adjust the levels of fees and rebates, depending on how successful the shift is. If the shift to better alternatives doesn't take place fast enough, fees and rebates can be increased.


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FeeBate Proposals

Sam Carana proposes a number of feebates to deal with global warming.

Sam argues that such FeeBates work best without discriminating as to which products, companies or technologies should get rebates; instead, Sam merely insists that alternatives be clean and safe; this, Sam argues, respects consumers choice and lets market mechanisms sort out what works best where.

Sam also argues that a feebate is best applied locally, i.e. using the proceeds of fees collected in an area to support alternatives supplied in that area.

Finally, Sam argues that fees are best calculated as a percentage of the price charged by the retailer to the consumer; as there are administration costs, Sam proposes to initially start the fee at a minimum of 10%; especially when alternatives still have little marketshare, imposing a 10% fee on sales of popular items will create a huge pool of money to fund rebates from; rebates can then be high, say 50% or even more, to facilitate the swiftest shift to better alternatives.

Specific FeeBates proposed by Sam Carana are:

  • a fee of 10% on sales of new gasoline cars, with proceeds used to fund rebates on zero emission cars
  • a fee of 10% on sales of fossil fuel, with proceeds used to fund rebates on purchase and installation of renewable energy facilities
  • a fee of 10% on sales of building and construction work that used polluting concrete (i.e. that contributed to global warming), with rebates on purchase of clean concrete
  • a fee of 10% on sales of fertilizers, with rebates on sales of agrichar
  • a fee of 10% on sales of meat, with rebates and vouchers for vegan-organic food
Furthermore, Sam Carana recommendeds that support for polluters be terminated and that support is instead given to clean and safe alternatives; town planners could help to set up vegan-organic restaurants in communities without roads. Deregulation of taxi services would allow more cars to take paying passengers on board. The electric grid should introduce differential pricing and two-way metering.

Discuss and support FeeBate proposals

If you like to support FeeBate.net or if you have further proposals for a FeeBate, include FeeBate.net in your post, so that it is easy to find it in searches, which could lead to your proposal being added to this site as well. Consider adding the FeeBate icon to your website. Thanks for your support!