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Ethical choices behind quantifications of fair contributions under the Paris Agreement

Author

Listed:
  • Kate Dooley

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Ceecee Holz

    (Carleton University
    Climate Equity Reference Project)

  • Sivan Kartha

    (Stockholm Environment Institute)

  • Sonja Klinsky

    (Arizona State University)

  • J. Timmons Roberts

    (Brown University)

  • Henry Shue

    (University of Oxford)

  • Harald Winkler

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Tom Athanasiou

    (Climate Equity Reference Project)

  • Simon Caney

    (University of Warwick)

  • Elizabeth Cripps

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Navroz K. Dubash

    (Centre for Policy Research)

  • Galen Hall

    (Brown University)

  • Paul G. Harris

    (Education University of Hong Kong)

  • Bård Lahn

    (CICERO Center for International Climate Research)

  • Darrel Moellendorf

    (Goethe University
    University of Johannesburg)

  • Benito Müller

    (University of Oxford)

  • Ambuj Sagar

    (School of Public Policy, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi)

  • Peter Singer

    (University Center for Human Values, Princeton University)

Abstract

The Parties to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement agreed to act on the basis of equity to protect the climate system. Equitable effort sharing is an irreducibly normative matter, yet some influential studies have sought to create quantitative indicators of equitable effort that claim to be value-neutral (despite evident biases). Many of these studies fail to clarify the ethical principles underlying their indicators, some mislabel approaches that favour wealthy nations as ‘equity approaches’ and some combine contradictory indicators into composites we call derivative benchmarks. This Perspective reviews influential climate effort-sharing assessments and presents guidelines for developing and adjudicating policy-relevant (but not ethically neutral) equity research.

Suggested Citation

  • Kate Dooley & Ceecee Holz & Sivan Kartha & Sonja Klinsky & J. Timmons Roberts & Henry Shue & Harald Winkler & Tom Athanasiou & Simon Caney & Elizabeth Cripps & Navroz K. Dubash & Galen Hall & Paul G. , 2021. "Ethical choices behind quantifications of fair contributions under the Paris Agreement," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(4), pages 300-305, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:11:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1038_s41558-021-01015-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01015-8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Karl W. Steininger & Keith Williges & Lukas H. Meyer & Florian Maczek & Keywan Riahi, 2022. "Sharing the effort of the European Green Deal among countries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Ceecee Holz & Guy Cunliffe & Kennedy Mbeva & Pieter W. Pauw & Harald Winkler, 2023. "Tempering and enabling ambition: how equity is considered in domestic processes preparing NDCs," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 271-292, September.
    3. Dominic Lenzi & Michael Jakob & Matthias Honegger & Susanne Droege & Jennifer C. Heyward & Tim Kruger, 2021. "Equity implications of net zero visions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Joachim Peter Tilsted & Anders Bjørn, 2023. "Green frontrunner or indebted culprit? Assessing Denmark’s climate targets in light of fair contributions under the Paris Agreement," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(8), pages 1-22, August.
    5. Bramka Arga Jafino & Jan H. Kwakkel & Frans Klijn, 2022. "Evaluating the distributional fairness of alternative adaptation policies: a case study in Vietnam’s upper Mekong Delta," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 173(3), pages 1-20, August.
    6. Thomas Hahn & Johannes Morfeldt & Robert Höglund & Mikael Karlsson & Ingo Fetzer, 2024. "Estimating countries’ additional carbon accountability for closing the mitigation gap based on past and future emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Xuemei Bai & Syezlin Hasan & Lauren Seaby Andersen & Anders Bjørn & Şiir Kilkiş & Daniel Ospina & Jianguo Liu & Sarah E. Cornell & Oscar Sabag Muñoz & Ariane Bremond & Beatrice Crona & Fabrice DeClerc, 2024. "Translating Earth system boundaries for cities and businesses," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 7(2), pages 108-119, February.
    8. Tan, Xianchun & Cai, Xiaoli & Cheng, Yonglong & Yan, Hongshuo, 2024. "How to control China's total amount of carbon emissions? An analysis of provincial allowance demands," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    9. Paulus, N., 2024. "Developing individual carbon footprint reduction pathways from carbon budgets: Examples with Wallonia and France," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).

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