The potential upscaling of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to meet states’ net-zero targets may enable individuals to remove emissions by purchasing carbon removal certificates. In this paper, I argue for two concepts of individual responsibility to capture the moral responsibility of individuals to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through CDR technologies. The first is that of liability, a direct responsibility to remove carbon in order to minimize one’s carbon footprint. The second is a shared political responsibility to remove (...) carbon that individuals have by virtue of being part of weak collectives responsible for mitigating climate change or by virtue of participating in structures that contribute to climate change. I argue that the concept of shared political responsibility can be used to determine how CDR technologies should or should not be implemented. Finally, I discuss how these two responsibilities are related. (shrink)

Es ist nicht immer so klar, welche Verantwortlichkeiten zum Klimaschutz den einzelnen Bürger:innen legitimerweise auferlegt werden können. Viele Forderungen scheinen leicht zu bewerkstelligen – z. B. die Umstellung der Essensgewohnheiten –, manche überfordern – z. B. die Wahl angemessener Ausnahmen – und wieder andere – z. B. die technische Entfernung von Klimagasen aus der Atmosphäre – sind ohne staatliche Unterstützung nicht zu bewerkstelligen. In diesem Aufsatz entwickeln wir ein Modell zur Unterscheidung zwischen den individuellen Klimaschutzverantwortlichkeiten und den Verantwortlichkeiten des Staates, (...) wenn dieser netto null Emissionen anstrebt. Hierzu unterscheiden wir drei Emissionsniveaus: i.) die aktuell hohen Emissionen innerhalb eines Staates, ii.) die Emissionen, die Bürger:innen aktuell zur gleichberechtigten Teilhabe an einer Gesellschaft benötigen, iii.) die ohne technische Hilfsmittel nicht vermeidbaren Emissionen. Wir argumentieren, dass die einzelnen Bürger:innen ohne staatliche Unterstützung nur für die Reduktion ihrer aktuell hohen Emissionen verantwortlich gemacht werden können. Mit Blick auf alle anderen Emissionen kommt ihnen in erster Linie eine politische Verantwortung zu. (shrink)

Both biofuels and BECCS serve the purpose of reducing the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere, biofuels by reducing the quantity of CO2 newly added and BECCS by removing the CO2 already emitted. Both rely on the large-scale growth of biomass and hence compete with food production for arable land. Consequently, the implementation of both at large scales potentially endangers food security. Given this conflict and the need for climate action, this paper discusses whether there are differences between the ethical (...) implications of mitigation by biofuels and geoengineering with BECCS. We apply a principlist approach, specifying and weighting four key principles of climate ethics: the polluter-pays principle, the ability-to-pay principle, the equal-per-capita principle, and the procedural involvement principle. Because the ethical and practical implications of BECCS and biofuels have many parallels, applying these four principles identifies relevant moral differences to decide between these two technologies. (shrink)

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals saw the global community agree to end hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. However, the number of chronically undernourished people is increasing continuously. Ongoing climate change and the action needed to adapt to it are very likely to aggravate this situation by limiting agricultural land and water resources and changing environmental conditions for food production. Climate change and the actions it requires raise questions of justice, especially regarding food security. 0These key concerns (...) of ethics and justice for food security due to climate change challenges are the focus of this book, which brings together work by scholars from a wide range of disciplines and a multitude of perspectives. These experts discuss the challenges to food security posed by mitigation, geoengineering, and adaptation measures that tackle the impacts of climate change. Others address the consequences of a changing climate for agriculture and food production and how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected food security and animal welfare.0. (shrink)