The 5th IPCC Assessment Report, WG III, Chap. 3 described and assessed the state of research on questions of climate justice for the first time in the history of the IPCC. Since 2014, the state of research has continued to develop. The working group aims to critically discuss the disciplinary and interdisciplinary state of research on climate justice with the involvement of experts, and to advance it through its own workshops and publications. Where appropriate, the results of this work are to be brought into dialogue with stakeholders and the interested public.
The consequences of climate change affect people living today and in the future unequally. The benefits from emissions-generating activities are unevenly distributed. People who lived in the past and those living today have contributed to climate change to varying degrees. The fundamental interests, needs, and rights of many people are already being affected by the consequences of climate change. If the transition to net-zero emissions by 2050 is not achieved, the fundamental rights of a great many people are likely to be violated as a result of climate change. Achieving the goal of global net-zero emissions requires a high degree of inter- and transnational, as well as transgenerational, cooperation. Individuals, groups, and institutions can and will be responsible actors in this transition to a near-zero-emissions society in various ways.
Given this situation, several interrelated justice questions arise, in particular questions concerning
- the determination of the maximum global emissions budget compatible with protecting the rights of future generations
- the fair allocation of the remaining permissible global emissions budget among states
- appropriate compensation for damages that have not been or can no longer be avoided
- appropriate compensation for the negative consequences of state transition measures, in particular the frustration of legitimate expectations
- the fair distribution of net burdens arising from the causes and consequences of climate change and the appropriate handling of climate change; that is, of benefits from emissions-generating activities, damages and rights violations, costs of mitigation and adaptation measures, and compensation payments
- the relationship between moral, legal, economic, and democratic criteria for the legitimacy of climate protection measures
- the criteria for evaluating transgenerational and international strategies for dealing with climate change, and for assessing the enforceability of long-term political transition strategies
- the conceptualisation of inter- and transgenerational as well as inter- and transnational justice in relation to climate change and its consequences, and the handling of climate change
- the preconditions for an assessment based on principles of intergenerational and international justice in particular, and the question of the limits of such an assessment
- the extent of responsibility of different types of actors, e.g. individuals, groups, and institutions
- the consideration of the interests of non-human animals, plants, and ecosystems.
List and description of planned activities (rough milestone plan for 1 year)
- Presentation of the AG Climate Justice at the Klimatag
- International workshop with colleagues from China and Europe (planned for May 2021)
- International workshop "Justice in Time" (June 2021)
- Stakeholder workshop on Legitimate Expectations and Transition (late summer 2021)
- Provision of information and expertise on request, e.g. for Fridays for Future
- Doctoral and postdoc colloquia
Chair: Lukas H. Meyer (University of Graz)
Contributors: Birgit Bednar-Friedl (University of Graz), Wolfgang Benedek (University of Graz), Michael Finus (University of Graz), Stephen Gardiner (Washington University, USA), Günter Getzinger (Graz University of Technology), Angela Kallhoff (University of Vienna), Reinhard Mechler (IIASA), Ulrich Metschl (University of Innsbruck), Kian Mintz-Woo (University College Cork, Ireland), Susana Monso (University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna). Arijit Paul (University of Graz), Daniel Petz (Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia), Adriana Placani (University of Graz), Thomas Pölzler (University of Graz), Barbara Reiter (University of Graz), Dominic Roser (University of Fribourg, Switzerland), Pranay Sanklecha (University of Graz), Oliver Sass (University of Bayreuth), Thomas Schinko (IIASA), Peter Singer (Princeton University, USA), Karl Steininger (University of Graz), Harald Stelzer (University of Graz), Eva Schulev-Steindl (University of Graz), Thomas Thaler (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences), Ivo Wallimann-Helmer (University of Fribourg, Switzerland), Charlotte Werndl (University of Salzburg), Christian Zauner (Parents for Future Austria)
See https://homepage.uni-graz.at/de/lukas.meyer/ and in particular https://online.uni-graz.at/kfu_online/wbforschungsportal.cbshowportal?pPersonNr=69399
Thematic CCCA working group "Climate Justice" - english Version
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