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Territorial Rights and Carbon Sinks
1Department of Political Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, Ketchum 115, 333 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309-0333, USA. vanders@colorado.edu.
Science and Engineering Ethics
|December 1, 2016
Summary
National sovereignty over resources can conflict with climate goals. This paper explores the tension between resource rights and equitable climate mitigation, particularly concerning carbon sinks.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Law and Policy
- Climate Change Economics
- Global Justice Studies
Background:
- Developing nations often assert national sovereignty over natural resources to counter the "resource curse."
- This principle is recognized as a territorial right, particularly for sub-surface mineral resources.
- However, applying this to fossil fuels creates tension with global climate change mitigation efforts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the conflict between national sovereignty claims over fossil fuels and global climate imperatives.
- To analyze the tension between resource rights and equitable carbon sink access.
- To reconcile seemingly incompatible aims regarding national resource control and global climate justice.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of legal and ethical principles.
- Examination of "resource privilege" and territorial rights in the context of climate change.
- Exploration of equity in sharing national mitigation burdens.
Main Results:
- Claims of national sovereignty over fossil fuels can undermine global climate mitigation.
- Full sovereignty over territorial carbon sinks may conflict with equitable burden-sharing in climate action.
- Disparate access to global carbon sink capacity highlights equity concerns.
Conclusions:
- Reconciling national resource sovereignty with global climate justice requires careful consideration of competing principles.
- A framework is needed to balance territorial rights with the imperative for collective climate action.
- Equitable access and burden-sharing are crucial for effective climate change mitigation.
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