TY - JOUR

T1 - Public conceptions of justice in climate engineering

T2 - evidence from secondary analysis of public deliberation

AU - McLaren, Duncan

AU - Parkhill, Karen

AU - Corner, Adam

AU - Vaughan, Naomi

AU - Pidgeon, Nicolas

N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Global Environmental Change. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Global Environmental Change, 41, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenncha.2016.09.002

PY - 2016/11

Y1 - 2016/11

N2 - Secondary analysis of transcripts of public dialogues on climate engineering indicates that justice concerns are an important but as yet under-recognised dimension influencing public reactions to these emerging techniques. This paper describes and explores justice issues raised by participants in a series of deliberative public engagement meetings. Such justice issues included the distribution of costs and benefits across space and time; the relative power and influence of beneficiaries and others; and the weakness of procedural justice measures that might protect public interests in decision making about climate engineering. We argue that publics are mobilising diverse concepts of justice, echoing both philosophical and practical sources. We conclude that a better understanding of conceptions of justice in this context could assist exploration and understanding of public perceptions of and attitudes towards climate engineering and the different technologies involved. Such detailed public engagement would appear essential if sound, well-informed and morally justifiable decisions are to be made regarding research or development of climate engineering.

AB - Secondary analysis of transcripts of public dialogues on climate engineering indicates that justice concerns are an important but as yet under-recognised dimension influencing public reactions to these emerging techniques. This paper describes and explores justice issues raised by participants in a series of deliberative public engagement meetings. Such justice issues included the distribution of costs and benefits across space and time; the relative power and influence of beneficiaries and others; and the weakness of procedural justice measures that might protect public interests in decision making about climate engineering. We argue that publics are mobilising diverse concepts of justice, echoing both philosophical and practical sources. We conclude that a better understanding of conceptions of justice in this context could assist exploration and understanding of public perceptions of and attitudes towards climate engineering and the different technologies involved. Such detailed public engagement would appear essential if sound, well-informed and morally justifiable decisions are to be made regarding research or development of climate engineering.

KW - Climate engineering

KW - Environmental and social justice

KW - Public deliberation

KW - Moral hazard

KW - Environmental dumping

U2 - 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2016.09.002

DO - 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2016.09.002

M3 - Journal article

VL - 41

SP - 64

EP - 73

JO - Global Environmental Change

JF - Global Environmental Change

SN - 0959-3780

ER -