Past Event
Seminar: Dr Simon Caney, 'Climate Change and Intergenerational Justice: What are our obligations to future generations?'
Dr.Simon Caney, Deptartment of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
Chair: Dr Chris Farmer, Co-Director, Programme for Modelling and Predicting Climate Change
Climate change raises profound questions of intergenerational justice. It is widely recognized that there is a powerful case for mitigation in virtue of obligations we have to future generations. But how much mitigation is required? Is the widely held view that humanity should act so as to prevent anything higher than two degrees celsius increase in temperatures over pre-industrial temperatures an appropriate one? Should the upper limit be lower than that? How should we decide? Answers to this depend not simply on scientific and social scientific projections but also on assumptions about how much is owed to our contemporaries and how much is owed to future generations. Dr Caney will explore several ways of thinking about intergenerational justice that have been proposed by philosophers, economists and policymakers.
Seminars are free and open to everyone. They take place in the Old Indian Institute (corner of Holywell and Catte Streets) from 3.30-5.00pm on Thursdays during term time.
This event is part of a seminar series:
Seminar Series: "Intergenerational Justice: What do we owe future generations?"
What are the long-term consequences of decisions we make today, and to what extent should the interests of future generations be taken into account? There is a wide range of public policy challenges that require us to provide some sort of answer to these questions. This interdisciplinary seminar series brings together academics and experts to address the implications of critical question...
Post event resources
Event Details
10 February 2011 15:30 - 17:00
Location
Lecture Theatre, Oxford Martin School
34 Broad Street (corner of Holywell and Catte Streets)
Oxford
OX1 3BD