Please join us for an E-IPER dissertation defense by Kiran Chawla, who will present "Just Decarbonization: The law, economics, and politics of advancing justice in climate and energy policy."

In-person: Shriram 262

Virtual: Zoom webinar

ABSTRACT:

Climate change exacerbated disasters are already causing widespread suffering and loss of life across the world. A large fraction of these damages is being experienced by those that have done little to cause climate change, have limited ability to influence the global trajectory of emissions, and are constrained in their capacity to adapt to the devastating effects of climate change. Climate change, therefore, risks widening existing socioeconomic inequalities. Given the inextricable link between climate change and inequality, what does a just climate policy response look like? 

This dissertation explores the law, economics, and politics of incorporating justice considerations alongside efficiency in climate and energy policy analysis.  Chapter 1 focuses on estimating international compensation responsibility for climate change related loss and damages (L&D) under different notions of global climate justice. Chapter 2 evaluates the theoretical potential of place-based climate investments to advance justice in federal climate policy. Chapter 3 conducts an empirical investigation of attempts to advance climate and energy justice through federal funding to understand the political pressures that undermine the effectiveness of these programs in practice. Chapter 4 discusses the ethical issues that are inherent in determining what just decarbonization should look like, and the importance of clarifying the role of economic assumptions and analyses in these determinations. Throughout, the research highlights the normative, economic, and political tradeoffs that must be confronted in the implementation of justice-sensitive climate and energy policy.