TY - GEN
T1 - Determining an equitable allocation of global carbon dioxide emissions
AU - Spierre, Susan G.
AU - Seager, Thomas
AU - Selinger, Evan
PY - 2010/8/5
Y1 - 2010/8/5
N2 - Finding an equitable mitigation policy to combat global climate change is a major problem facing society today. Successful mitigation of climate change will require a decrease in global CO2 emissions and economic costs associated with reduced production of consumer goods. A critical consideration is the existence of an uneven distribution of benefits and damages associated with climate change, stressing the need for an equitable way to reduce CO 2 emissions. Literature in philosophy provides an outline of carbon allocation methods that advocate the use of ethical and moral reasoning behind international climate policy. However, evidence from recent economic and behavioral studies may be developed into a more equitable method of allocation by taking a capabilities approach, rather than consumption- or income-based measures of human welfare. Using the Human Development Index as a proxy for human welfare and a climate damage function representing the cost of lost ecosystem services, we determine a more equitable global allocation of CO 2 emissions. The implication is that developed countries that emit more CO2, may be able to reduce their consumption without necessarily reducing their quality of life. Also, less developed nations, that emit less, have an incentive to focus development efforts on improving the lives of its citizens, rather than increasing consumption of material goods.
AB - Finding an equitable mitigation policy to combat global climate change is a major problem facing society today. Successful mitigation of climate change will require a decrease in global CO2 emissions and economic costs associated with reduced production of consumer goods. A critical consideration is the existence of an uneven distribution of benefits and damages associated with climate change, stressing the need for an equitable way to reduce CO 2 emissions. Literature in philosophy provides an outline of carbon allocation methods that advocate the use of ethical and moral reasoning behind international climate policy. However, evidence from recent economic and behavioral studies may be developed into a more equitable method of allocation by taking a capabilities approach, rather than consumption- or income-based measures of human welfare. Using the Human Development Index as a proxy for human welfare and a climate damage function representing the cost of lost ecosystem services, we determine a more equitable global allocation of CO 2 emissions. The implication is that developed countries that emit more CO2, may be able to reduce their consumption without necessarily reducing their quality of life. Also, less developed nations, that emit less, have an incentive to focus development efforts on improving the lives of its citizens, rather than increasing consumption of material goods.
KW - Capabilities approach
KW - Carbon allocation
KW - Climate change ethics
KW - Moral philosophy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955104276&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77955104276&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/ISSST.2010.5507704
DO - 10.1109/ISSST.2010.5507704
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:77955104276
SN - 9781424470938
T3 - Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology, ISSST 2010
BT - Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology, ISSST 2010
T2 - 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology, ISSST 2010
Y2 - 17 May 2010 through 19 May 2010
ER -