Caney, Simon and Hepburn, Cameron (2011) Carbon trading: unethical, unjust and ineffective? Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment working papers, 49. Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London, UK.
Abstract
Cap-and-trade systems for greenhouse gas emissions are an important part of the climate change policies of the EU, Japan, New Zealand, among others, as well as China (soon) and Australia (potentially). However, concerns have been raised on a variety of ethical grounds about the use of markets to reduce emissions. For example, some people worry that emissions trading allows the wealthy to evade their responsibilities. Others are concerned that it puts a price on the natural environment. Concerns have also been raised about the distributional justice of emissions trading. Finally, some commentators have questioned the actual effectiveness of emissions trading in reducing emissions. This paper considers these three categories of objections — ethics, justice and effectiveness — through the less of moral philosophy and economics. It is concluded that only the objections based on distributional justice can be sustained. This points to reform of the carbon market system, rather than its elimination.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Working Paper) |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://www2.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/Home.aspx |
| Additional Information: | © 2011 The Authors |
| Library of Congress subject classification: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions |
| Journal of Economic Literature Classification System: | Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q54 - Climate; Natural Disasters Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q58 - Government Policy |
| Sets: | Research centres and groups > Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment Collections > Economists Online |
| Identification Number: | 49 |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Jul 2011 10:18 |
| URL: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/37586/ |
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