Climate Change and International Justice

The effects that are predicted to occur as a result of global climate change have the potential to be devastating, effecting food and water security, threatening sensitive ecosystems and species, and forcing the relocation of thousands of people. However, little has been done to effectively combat this problem for two primary reasons: there are uncertainties surrounding climate change projections and many countries are unwilling to accept their fair share of the burden. This project will attempt to reframe these problems. Specifically, I will argue that it is rational for policymakers to act on the model-generated predictions of climate change, and (based on the framework that Rawls lays out in The Law of Peoples), all peoples have a duty to work towards the abatement of and adaptation to climate change.