Decarbonisation and world poverty: a just transition for fossil fuel exporting countries?
Decarbonisation and world poverty: a just transition for fossil fuel exporting countries?
If dangerous climate change is to be avoided, the majority of the world’s fossil fuel supplies cannot be burned. Fossil fuel exporting countries will therefore lose out on a significant source of revenue – among them some of the world’s poorest countries. Might they have a claim to assistance from the international community if these losses come to pass? If so, on what basis? I examine two distinct arguments for assistance. The first is based on the claim that when our expectations are thwarted by public policy, compensation for those affected may be morally required. The second is premised upon the right to development – a right which is jeopardised when some fossil fuel assets must go unexploited. I argue that the second argument enjoys better prospects. I also discuss several mechanisms which would allow the international community to assist countries incurring losses arising from the need to stabilise our global climate.
671-688
Armstrong, Christopher
2fbfa0a3-9183-4562-9370-0f6441df90d2
1 August 2020
Armstrong, Christopher
2fbfa0a3-9183-4562-9370-0f6441df90d2
Armstrong, Christopher
(2020)
Decarbonisation and world poverty: a just transition for fossil fuel exporting countries?
Political Studies, 68 (3), .
(doi:10.1177/0032321719868214).
Abstract
If dangerous climate change is to be avoided, the majority of the world’s fossil fuel supplies cannot be burned. Fossil fuel exporting countries will therefore lose out on a significant source of revenue – among them some of the world’s poorest countries. Might they have a claim to assistance from the international community if these losses come to pass? If so, on what basis? I examine two distinct arguments for assistance. The first is based on the claim that when our expectations are thwarted by public policy, compensation for those affected may be morally required. The second is premised upon the right to development – a right which is jeopardised when some fossil fuel assets must go unexploited. I argue that the second argument enjoys better prospects. I also discuss several mechanisms which would allow the international community to assist countries incurring losses arising from the need to stabilise our global climate.
Text
Decarbonisation and World Poverty
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 16 July 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 19 August 2019
Published date: 1 August 2020
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 432487
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/432487
ISSN: 0032-3217
PURE UUID: 339cd86e-5792-43c2-bd49-a41f326a97ff
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 17 Jul 2019 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:47
Export record
Altmetrics
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
