Carbon dividends: an emissions tax that's guaranteed to be popular

The idea is fairly straightforward. Institute a carbon tax and give all revenue from it back to citizens. You get alleviation of poverty, economic stimulus (because much of the money given to citizens would be put directly back into the economy through spending), bipartisan voter support and a cost-effective way of reducing emissions.

And in the US at least, major corporations like General Motors and PepsiCo support a carbon dividends program.

This isn't the only approach that could work. But it's the kind of bold idea we want to see more of (and see implemented).

• Priscilla Hough-Davies