Climate Change and Intergenerational Justice

Abstract

We point out that climate change raises issues of intergenerational justice which are similar to, and closely connected with, the issues of international justice discussed in the previous chapter. We counter arguments, common amongst certain economists, that we should put a reduced value on future commodities, because people in the future will on average be wealthier than us. We also counter arguments, also to be found in economics literature, to the effect that we should put a reduced value on future well-being, because doing so is democratic. We argue that this position involves a serious misunderstanding of the nature and value of democracy.