Page - 47 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
Image of the Page - 47 -
Text of the Page - 47 -
2 TheEthicalChallenges in theContextofClimateLossandDamage 47
of the harm they face. This is so for three reasons. First, the fact that the main
L&Doccurs inregionswhichhistoricallyhavecontributedfar less toanthropogenic
climate change seems to unfairly burden those least responsible for these adverse
effects. Second, those regions and countries most burdened with L&D are often
(economically) lesswellequippedtomanageclimate impactsoncetheymaterialise.
Third andmost importantly, sincemany adverse effects of climate change are not
immediatebut linked to slowonset events, it seemsappropriate to say that inmany
regions of the world we find a situation of more or less acute emergency due to
climate change already.5 In our view, it seems clear that in a case of emergency,
someone is under duty to assist irrespective of whether that agent has caused the
threat (“remedial responsibility”). Such assistance usually is due up to the point
where those under threat are safe again. Thus, it seems inappropriate to only help
countries in need of assistance with L&D up to the point it can be attributed to
anthropogenic climate change and then leave them on their own. That would be
likehelping someonedrowning to as far to the shore asonehas thrownhim in, but
then swimaway.Rescuing someonedrowningmeans to tryone’sbest tobringhim
safely to the shore irrespectiveof howmuchonecontributed to the threat.Because
of this,webelieve thateven incases inwhichnoonecanbeascribedcompensatory
responsibility, allof thoseafflictedbyclimateL&Dareentitled toassistance if they
donothave thecapacity tomake themselveswholeagain.Thisespeciallyapplies to
thosewho,due toclimateL&D, fall belowaspecified thresholdofharm.
DistributiveJustice
Especially tomeet this last challenge,wesuggest to alsoconsideringanalternative
framingoftheethicalimplicationsofL&D,namelytheframingofdistributivejustice.
According to this alternative framing, rather than regarding L&D as reasons for
compensationonly,L&Dalsoprovides reasons for redistributiondue toundeserved
harms. That is,wrongful emittingwould be relinquished as a relevant criterion to
identify thedutybearers forpayments in caseofL&D. Instead, the focuswouldbe
on thewrongfulnessofharmsasdefinedfromtheperspectiveofdistributive justice.
In otherwords, the alternative framing to be considered demands redistribution in
caseofunfairdisadvantagebutnot compensationdue towrongful emitting.
Oneway todistinguishbetween redistribution and compensation startswith the
premise that there is some baseline distribution of goods or bads that is just. This
baselinedistribution is on theonehanddeterminedbycertain criteria or principles
of justice (suchas thepriority view, the strict egalitarianviewor anyother) andon
the other hand by legitimate changes to the distribution (as determined by criteria
or principles of justice)which someone experiences as a result of her own respon-
sible (and non-wrongful) choices. Deviations from this baseline then call for two
different kinds of reactions. In case the reaction the deviation calls for isbased on
thewrongfulnessofwhat occurred,we are operating in the realmof compensatory
justice. Incase thereactionthedeviationcalls for isbasedonthe ideaofeveningout
undeserved benefits or harms (which are due to bad luck, for example, or harmful
5Notablywehereunderstandclimatechangetoencompassbothanthropogenicclimatechangeand
natural climatevariability.
Loss and Damage from Climate Change
Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
- Title
- Loss and Damage from Climate Change
- Subtitle
- Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
- Authors
- Reinhard Mechler
- Laurens M. Bouwer
- Thomas Schinko
- Swenja Surminski
- JoAnne Linnerooth-Bayer
- Publisher
- Springer Open
- Date
- 2019
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-319-72026-5
- Size
- 16.0 x 24.0 cm
- Pages
- 580
- Keywords
- Environment, Climate change, Environmental law, Environmental policy, Risk management
- Categories
- International
- Naturwissenschaften Umwelt und Klima