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Cosmopolitan Luck egalitarianism and the greenhouse effect1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

Axel Gosseries
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Extract

Evidence provided by the scientific community strongly suggests that limits should be placed on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This means that states, firms, and individuals will have to face potentially serious burdens if they are to implement these limits. Which principles of justice should guide a global regime aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originating from human activities, and most notably from CO2 emissions? This is both a crucial and difficult question. Admittedly, perhaps this question is too ambitious, given the uncertainties and complexities characterizing the issue of climate change. Yet, rather than listing them all at this stage, let us address the question in a straightforward manner, introducing some of these complexities as the need arises.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Philosophy Supplementary Volume , Volume 31: Global Justice, Global Institutions , 2005 , pp. 279 - 309
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2005

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Footnotes

1

Earlier versions of this paper were presented in 2004 in Paris (IDDRI, March 30), Louvain-la-neuve (Climneg, June 3), London (UCL, Sept. 16), Montreal (CREUM, Oct. 1, 2004), Geneva (Univ. de GenÈèèève, Feb 25, 2005), and Bucharest (SNSPA, April18, 2005). The author is extremely grateful to these audiences and also wishes to warmly thank P. Bou-Habib, L. de Briey, C. Fabre, F. Gaspart, 5. Gardiner, 0. Godard, A. Marciano, D. Roser, P. Vallentyne, V. Vansteenberghe, A. Williams, and one anonymous referee for their often extensive written comments and their suggestions. Moreover, it is not possible here to list all the articles and books that have been written on the ethical dimensions of climate change. We refer the reader to the rich bibliography of Gardiner (2004).

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