Justin Leroux

Interdisciplinary seminars
economic philosophy seminar

Justin Leroux

HEC Montréal
What do climate change winners owe?
Venue

IBD Salle 15

Îlot Bernard du Bois - Salle 15

AMU - AMSE
5-9 boulevard Maurice Bourdet
13001 Marseille

Date(s)
Friday, May 17 2019| 10:00am to 12:00pm
Contact(s)

Feriel Kandil: feriel.kandil[at]univ-amu.fr
Miriam Teschl: miriam.teschl[at]ehess.fr

Abstract

Climate ethics has been concerned with polluter pays, beneficiary pays and ability to pay principles, all of which consider climate change as a single negative externality. This paper considers it as a constellation of externalities, positive and negative, with different associated demands of justice. This is important because considering positive externalities has not to our knowledge been done in the climate ethics literature. Specifically, it is argued that those who are subject to positive climate externalities owe gains not to the net losers, but to the emitters, just as the emitters owe it to the net losers to compensate them for the negative externalities. This is defended by appeal to theoretical virtues and to the social benefits of generating positive externalities, even when those positive externalities are coupled with far greater negative externalities.