Carbon budget

A "carbon budget" is a cap on the total quantity of greenhouse gas emissions emitted in the over a specified time. Under a system of carbon budgets, every ton of greenhouse gas emitted is accounted for and where emissions rise in one sector, corresponding falls have to be achieved in another. The UK has set carbon budgets to cover five-year periods, with three budgets set at a time. The first three carbon budgets run from 2008?2012, 2013?2017 and 2018?2022.