Abstract
Global climate change is a significant challenge for current and, particularly, future generations. In the public debate about the fair allocation of associated costs commonly the moral claim that the developed countries should burden the costs is expressed. To support this claim, often four moral arguments, based on the theory of justice, are raised: (i) the polluter pays, (ii) the historical responsibility, (iii) the beneficiary pays, and (iv) the ability to pay. The aim of the paper is to assess whether these principles impose a duty on the developed countries and whether a fair allocation of costs would be achieved.
Highlights
In the public debate about the allocation of costs caused by climate change, commonly, four arguments are provided in order to make the point that the developed countries have a moral duty to pay: (i) they have a historical responsibility, (ii) which goes hand in hand
A major driver of climate change is human activities, to some extent past activities, but to a larger degree activities undertaken by current generations
The capability of four principles, all based on the theory of justice, to ascribe specific responsibility and the associated moral duty to agents in order to allocate the costs of climate change in a fair way has been assessed
Summary
Climate Change—Who Ought to Pay the Bill?. Sustainability 2021, 13, 13393. In the public debate about the allocation of costs caused by climate change, commonly, four arguments are provided in order to make the point that the developed countries have a moral duty to pay: (i) they have a historical responsibility, (ii) which goes hand in hand. Conclusions will be drawn, and it will be discussed if based on the theory of justice a just solution to the question of costs allocation can be found
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