Latest Articles
Below is a collection of articles on climate justice.
The Morality of Exports
With the exception of air and sea travel, most GHG emissions are produced by people within the territories of states, so when it comes to assigning responsibility for the climate harms to which emissions contribute, the task ought to be fairly simple: states should take responsibility for emissions ...
Historical Emissions
The world is running out of time to reduce its levels of GHG emissions. Each year the world emits around 35 Gt of CO2. Avoiding the worst effects of climate change and keeping temperature rises to 2C means we are unable to continue emitting at such a rate; we have a limited time before exhausting...
Ethics and the Carbon Budget
If dangerous climate change is to be avoided, there is only a limited amount of GHG emissions that the world can emit. According to the IPCC, if we are to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, or the more ambitious 1.5°C goal, total global anthropogeni...
The Psychological Appeal of Fossil Fuel Divestment
Divestment from the fossil-fuel industry is on the rise. Worldwide it is estimated that approximately $3.4 trillion has been divested by 584 different institutions. These institutions have divested from companies involved in exploration, extraction, and production of fossil fuels. Is dives...
What Should I Do About Climate Change?
We need climate action now. The IPCC is unequivocal, and citizens are listening even if their governments aren’t. Extinction Rebellion has stopped traffic; Australian schoolchildren have cut school to demand change; Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg just used a UN COP 24 plenary to berate negotiator...
Who Should Do What?
Climate change is something we have a moral duty to address: in failing to do so, we expose vulnerable people in the future to the prospect of great harm. But who are “we”? Who has this duty, and what exactly is the climate action we ought to take? A natural picture is this. What is needed to...
Why is Social Justice Relevant to Climate Change
A climate transition will require huge adjustments to our way of life. New technologies, new behaviours and extensive costs for individuals and states. But it also offers opportunities such as a cleaner environment, cheaper energy and increased independence. Yet no matter what combination of these c...
Export Emissions Methodology
Sources The Australian fossil fuel export data come from the Department of Environment and Energy1 (DEE), the Office of the Chief Economist2 (OCE) and the International Energy Association3 (IEA). The DEE publishes data for each financial year on the total export of all Australian coal, gas, liquid ...
Terms and Definitions
Fossil fuel export emissions: Fossil fuel export emissions are defined as the emissions from fossil fuel exports that are fully combusted. It is assumed that all fossil fuel exported is combusted. Global carbon budget: See explainer ‘Carbon budgets and national emissions’ H...
Taking Up the Slack
Taking up the slack: when governments don’t act on climate change Every year, governments of the world meet to progress action on climate change. And every year, each government recommits to take action to tackle the risks that climate change threatens. That governments should commit to and imple...
