2008

Author(s): Caney S

It is widely recognised that climate change is having malign effects on human life. How though should we evaluate these changes? The dominant approach employs cost-benefit analysis. In this essay I defend an alternative. I argue that we should see climate change as a threat to human rights. The inter-temporal character of climate change poses a second question, namely should we subject these rights to a positive discount rate. I examine five arguments which purport to show that the human rights jeopardised by dangerous climate change should be subject to a positive discount rate and conclude that none of these succeed. I argue that the rights jeopardised by dangerous climate change do not diminish in importance throughout time.

Journal: Environmental Politics