Intergenerational Equity Research Articles

Blinded by the ‘green-halo’? Equity in financing climate adaptation of urban sanitation

Adapting urban sanitation systems to changing climate conditions will require substantial investments. However, there is a gap in understanding the funding strategies for such adaptation measures, especially amid concerns that resilience measures might reinforce existing urban sanitation inequalities. Through cross-case document analysis and complementary key informant interviews, we examined the sanitation adaptation investments in eight cities, focusing on their funding arrangements and social and intergenerational equity implications. Debt financing of sanitation adaptation often relies on repayment through customer bills with only opaque considerations of the affordability for different socio-economic customer groups. The lack of appropriate accounting for the lifecycle costs of resilient infrastructure threatens to mortgage future generations. There is no convincing evidence that ‘greening’ of adaptation financing either shifts or redistributes the financial risk more equitably nor does it make the repayment of the investments substantially cheaper for customers. We conclude that a public sector funding approach is most appropriate to ensure social and intergenerational equity within climate-resilient sanitation systems.

Climate Change, Historical Emissions, and Unjust Benefits: A Comment on Axel Gosseries’ Account of Climate Justice

One of the claims Axel Gosseries makes in What is Intergenerational Justice? is that greenhouse gas emissions produced before 1990 are morally unimportant for present climate duties. This article challenges that claim by drawing on the idea that present people may have special duties to combat climate change in virtue of benefiting from past emissions. 

On Axel Gosseries’ “What is Intergenerational Justice?”

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Climate Justice and the Moral Relevance of the Past

Axel Gosseries’s What is Intergenerational Justice? (2023) is a splendid book.  It provides an introduction to the topic of intergenerational justice that is accessible and an excellent guide to someone unfamiliar with the issues.  At the same time it has much of interest to those who are well versed in these debates.  It has rich and illuminating discussions of, among other things, what principles of justice should govern how people treat future generations, environmental sustainability, climate change, and the implications of our impacts on future people for ideals of democratic legitimacy and normative theorizing about institutional design.   In this article I want to focus on Gosseries’s analysis of climate change.  His chapter on climate justice is rich and nuanced and covers a considerable amount of ground.  I shall focus on one issue in particular.  One key feature of climate change is that the problem has, in part, been caused by the actions of previous generations.  Human beings emitted very low quantities of greenhouse gases for centuries.  However, from the 19th century onwards emissions of greenhouse gases started to rise and increased dramatically throughout the 20th century and the first decades of this century.  One question that arises is: When we are considering what duties current generations have to mitigate climate change, what normative significance should we attach to the climate-endangering activities of people in the past?  Should those alive now pay for the ways in which past members of their country have harmed the climate system?  Many climate campaigners appeal to an idea of historical responsibility.  Are they right to do so?  In this article I shall analyse Gosseries’s discussion of these questions.

What is Intergenerational Justice? A Precis

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Disrupting the Chrononormativity of Geographies of Youth and Youth Studies: Learning From Infractions at the Border

ABSTRACTThe overlapping academic fields of geographies of youth and youth studies are defined by what counts as ‘youth’, but how important are age categories to maintaining their boundaries? Descriptions of infractions at the border act as provocations for examining how the normalisation of ages and stages such as ‘youth’ constitute chrononormativities that are implicitly ‘westernised’ and culturally blind. I curate conceptual resources for disrupting chrononormativity and narrow ways of thinking about generation and intergenerational responsibilities to make the case for why this matters in climate‐altered worlds. I make two separate but related interventions. First, I critique how youth scholars and youth journals currently conceive of ‘youth’ drawing on Indigenous scholarship. I then demonstrate why this matters by challenging the pervasive discourse that climate change is a recent problem for ‘younger generations’ to solve. The research reviewed here charts a useful path forward for geographers and other scholars to resist and reconfigure youth/adult dualities and broader chrononormativities, building on scholarship stipulating the necessity of intergenerational dialogue, justice, and solidarity in climate activism that is also informed by decolonial theories and principles.

Intergenerational Domination

AbstractThe political and ethical status of future generations is commonly discussed within conceptual frameworks like intergenerational justice, rights, or welfare. In this article, I argue that the concept of domination can provide a novel perspective on the philosophy of intergenerational relations. To that end, I first advance and defend a (slightly) revised conception of domination, drawing on Philip Pettit’s neorepublican view. Second, I establish a prima facie case for the existence of intergenerational domination and address four major objections to the claim that the present generation dominates future generations: the non-concurrency challenge, a modified version of the non-identity problem, the inescapability objection, and the problem of historical domination. Finally, I explore some implications and conceptual advantages of the framework of intergenerational domination. As a theoretical foundation of a comprehensive analysis of structures of domination, the proposed framework may contribute to identifying and reducing domination within and across generations.

Extracting the Ultradeep Oil: David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks

ABSTRACT David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks reworks the novel form with its generic experimentation, a gesture in response to the transformed geosocial contours of the Anthropocene. Straddling between the realist and the fantastical, the novel decentralizes human perspective that proves increasingly unsatisfactory to confront the complex causality of climate change for imaginative and conceptual limits. In this essay, I argue that Mitchell attends to a conceptual limit imposed by petroculture, one that refuses to connect the future warming climate with the present large-scale combustion of fossil fuels. The temporal disjunction evolves into a strong antagonism between present and future, which can be tellingly revealed by the coupling of realist and fantastical traditions. Mitchell’s genre-blending device therefore pushes the novel form beyond its usual near-sightedness, excavating a deeper layer of climate-induced crisis of human imagination, namely the present’s inability to recognize the delayed effects of its unsustainable consumption pattern. Viewed through an energy-oriented perspective, The Bone Clocks engages with modernity’s ultradeep relationship with oil, complicating our understanding of climate temporality that matters in terms of intergenerational justice.

The International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and Future Generations

Abstract The mandate of the ICJ advisory opinion on climate change makes reference to states’ obligations in relation to both current and future generations. This note discusses options in terms of how the Court might interpret the concept of future generations, including its definition and the possibility of extending the principle of harm prevention to include harm to future generations. This is discussed in conjunction with the principle of intergenerational equity (an integral component of sustainable development), which the Court could interpret in a manner which gives it more substance. In approaching these issues, the Court will need to be impartial in terms of the interests of developed and developing countries.

Research on Animal Welfare Legislation from the Perspective of Ecological Ethics

This paper has explored the critical importance of integrating ecological ethics into animal welfare legislation. It has underscored the limitations of current legislation, which often lacks a holistic approach to animal protection, focusing primarily on anthropocentric concerns and failing to account for the intrinsic value of animals and their ecological roles. The paper has argued that by embracing ecological ethics principles such as respect for nature s intrinsic value, intergenerational justice, and the promotion of harmonious coexistence, legislation can be more effective in safeguarding animal welfare and supporting environmental sustainability. Case studies, including the European Union s Directive on animal testing, the Great Ape Project s influence on rights for great apes, and the U.S. Endangered Species Act, have been highlighted to demonstrate the practical application and impact of ecological ethics in legislation. The conclusion emphasizes the need for a transformative approach to animal welfare laws, one that reflects contemporary ethical considerations and contributes to a more sustainable and just relationship between humans, animals, and the environment.

Forecasting Population in an Uncertain World: Approaches, New Uses, and Troubling Limitations

AbstractThe long human lifespan enables long run forecasts of population size and age distribution. New methods include biodemographic research on upper limits to life expectancy and incorporation of early experiences affecting later life mortality such as smoking, obesity, and childhood health shocks. Some fertility forecasts incorporate education and quantum‐tempo insights. Statistical time series and Bayesian methods generate probabilistic forecasts. Yet recent decades have brought surprising changes in the economy, natural environment, and vital rates. In these changing circumstances we need new methods and the increasing use of probabilistic models and Bayesian methods incorporating outside information. The increasing use of microsimulation combined with aggregate forecasting methods is a very promising development enabling more detailed and heterogeneous forecasts. Some new uses of stochastic forecasts are interesting in themselves. Probabilistic mortality forecasts are used in finance and insurance, and a new Longevity Swap industry has been built on them. Random sample paths used to generate stochastic population forecasts can stress‐test public pension designs for fiscal stability and intergenerational equity. Population forecasting a few decades ago was a dull backwater of demographic research, but now it is increasingly important and is full of intellectual and technical challenges.

Philosophical Thinking About Somalia's Oil And Gas Exploration

Somalia is currently at a crucial moment due to the possibility of discovering oil and gas deposits, despite its long-standing instability and economic complications. This article provides inclusive philosophical analysis of the environmental, ethical and economic dimensions of resource production in the context of Somali’s fragile social, environmental, and political context.This study evaluates the moral responsibilities of shareholders involved in gas and oil exploration, especially balancing economic benefit with environmental sustainability and communities’ justice. We used different methods of deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and deep ecology. We discuss ethical considerations such as intergenerational justice, corporate social responsibility, promotinggovernance frameworks that confirm equitable distribution of resource wealth, and avoiding the onset of the “resource curse.” We also take some case studies from Venezuela, Nigeria, and Canada and give insights into the potential pitfalls and best practices for resource management. This article accomplishes by recommending the best strategic approach that incorporates ethical considerations into petroleum Somalia’s industry, economy equity, promoting sustainable development, and long-term environmental stewardship

Promoting intergenerational equity calls for strategic investments in long-lasting capital systems

Promoting intergenerational equity calls for strategic investments in long-lasting capital systems

Scenario Analysis in Karlsruhe: Exploring New Argumentative Steps of the Federal Constitutional Court

Abstract This Article examines scenario analysis, a disruptive argumentation technique used by the German Federal Constitutional Court (GFCC) in recent high-profile cases, such as the so-called climate protection case (Klimaschutz) and other decisions on the fundamental right to intergenerational justice (Grundrecht auf Generationengerechitgkeit). After explaining the basic argumentative steps involved in scenario analysis, for example designing scenarios, identifying stakeholders, relating scenarios to strategies, determining the main driving forces, estimating scenario probabilities, the Article sketches a normative model for rational scenario design. The normative model is used as a lens for evaluating the arguments developed by the GFCC in the climate protection case. Such evaluation also builds on game-theoretic insights and points out some weaknesses in the Court’s argument. Finally, the Article observes that, as scenario analysis is used to assess the future impact of legislative decisions, it has the effect of imposing greater constraints on legislatures.

GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION: JUSTICE AND CHALLENGES 2022

Energy has always been one of the main drivers of economic development in all countries. Energy needs are continuously rising, as are the needs and demands for environmentally sustainable solutions. The green energy transition is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century, given that it should be implemented in a way that respects the basic principles of sustainable development. It is not easy to reconcile the demands of economic development, environmental protection and the achievement of intergenerational and intragenerational justice. Adding to this the current global events that have a strong impact on even the most stable economies in Europe and worldwide, it becomes clear that the energy transition will have to adapt to new circumstances as well.

Principles for Incorporating Recycled Materials into Airport Pavement Construction for More Sustainable Airport Pavements

Current international waste policy promotes the reduction and re-use of waste materials, and in some cases, specifically calls for the use of recycled materials in pavements. Consequently, there is a need to understand the performance of recycled materials in airport pavements, as well as the overall sustainability benefit. This paper reviews several recycled materials and their applications to asphalt concrete, cement concrete, and bound and unbound granular materials in the context of airport pavements. Additionally, it reviews sustainability quantification methods, as well as implementation challenges for using recycled materials in airport pavements. For comparing pavements with and without recycled materials, a triple bottom line approach is appropriate. The triple bottom line approach should use life cycle cost assessment and life cycle assessment for the financial and environmental impacts, respectively, as best-practice, with frameworks and guidelines already established. For social impacts, it is recommended to quantify the reduction in virgin material use which relates to intergenerational equity by ensuring access to materials by future generations. Because there are still implementation challenges for the airport pavement industry, principles are developed that aim to promote uptake of recycled materials. These principles include sorting and processing, minimising haulage distances, and ensuring performance of pavement layers through performance testing and performance-related specifications.

Summary: Democratic Institutions and Long-Term Action: Exploring the Institutional Antecedents of Presentism and Intergenerational Justice

Summary: Democratic Institutions and Long-Term Action: Exploring the Institutional Antecedents of Presentism and Intergenerational Justice

What role for sustainability in post-fossil regional transition processes? Exploring governance conditions, actors, and transition projects in a German coal phase-out region

ABSTRACT While the coal phase-out is progressing in many countries, formerly fossil-dependent regions receive transition funding for substitute economic activities. This can steer these regions into a sustainable future, yet it is not clear from the outset whether governance conditions and actors’ preferences are conducive to a genuinely sustainable transition. The present study examines to what extent sustainability goals shape the transition process following the coal phase-out in a German coal region (Lusatia), and the guiding logics observed therein. Three key aspects for regional transition processes are considered: enabling conditions for sustainability governance (policy coherence, participation, reflexivity, intergenerational equity); key actors and their sustainability conceptions; and the role of sustainability in selecting and funding transition projects. Based on expert interviews, policy documents, project lists, and sustainability declarations, our findings indicate that sustainability is a rather low priority for key actors. In combination with ambivalent governance conditions, this manifests as a weak sustainability focus among most resulting projects. Nevertheless, our analysis also reveals several projects focusing on selective aspects of sustainability. The phase-out therefore appears to follow the logic of signaling, and it remains unclear whether this might revert to mere energy system substitution or else aspire to comprehensive regional transformation.

Children’s Rights and the Pursuit of Intergenerational Climate Justice in Nigeria

Children’s Rights and the Pursuit of Intergenerational Climate Justice in Nigeria

Municipal circular economy indicators: Do they measure the cities' environmental ambitions?

Circular economy (CE) is gaining traction in cities as an approach to reducing local and global environmental impacts. Yet, how effective are these strategies in terms of their environmental impacts? To find out, we took a deep dive into 30 CE policies from cities in high-income countries across Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. We assessed the relevance of their indicator sets with regards to their major environmental concerns. To do so, we conducted a qualitative analysis of policy documents published in eight languages, examining common environmental goals, concerns, and progress indicators of various cities. The review reveals a broad spectrum of municipal CE policies, from waste management to climate action. Key concerns include climate mitigation and securing local resource availability, but overall, very diverse environmental targets could be identified. Some of these targets aim at local impacts such as air quality and public health, while others envision global impacts such as biodiversity conservation and intergenerational justice. While greenhouse gas emissions of territorial scope are frequently monitored, the indicator sets mostly ignore that climate mitigation involves a footprint scope. Moreover, the sets mostly lack indicators to monitor other environmental pressures and impacts. To better monitor these, we provide a set of recommendations for research and policy to bridge the gap between environmental concerns and indicator needs. We suggest complementing current resource flow dominated indicator sets with measures of the local environmental state and the application of urban footprint models to help cities monitor the desired global environmental impact of their measures.