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Preference Aggregation and Individual Development Rights

It is both a moral tragedy and a travesty of social justice that responses to present unacceptable levels of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) often involve constraining development, and that the burden of this constraint tends to fall most heavily on those most in need of that development. With this in mind, Baer et al. formulate their response to climate change with a noble goal (Baer, Athanasiou, Kartha & KempBenedict, 2008). They say, ‘we seek to ensure that the emergent climate regime does not worsen the condition of the world’s poor majority; yet we also seek to use the climate crisis to cast light on the broader issues of development and inequality’ (Baer, 2009, p. 268). Their account of Greenhouse Development Rights (GDRs) provides a burden sharing framework that takes into account both the capacity of a country to pay and the responsibility that country has for the present level of GHGs. More distinctively, and more significantly given their noble goal, the authors’ account focuses on the capability of individuals within a given country to contribute to efforts at curbing Greenhouse Gases, with this capability spelled out in terms of purchase power parity (PPP). If an individual’s income lies below a PPP threshold level, indicating they are in need of ‘development’, any responsibility that individual might otherwise have to contribute to GHG reduction efforts is trumped by a right to develop. Moreover, the development threshold applies to everyone, serving as a sort of standard deduction when responsibilities are determined. While the policies advocated under this proposed framework involve distributing obligations to pay for climate change among nations, and the basis for that distribution involves aggregating the PPP-adjusted capacities and responsibilities of individuals, the right to develop is said to be held solely by individuals. The advantages of this account are clear: the focus on individuals allows for the very real social justice concerns that motivate the authors to be addressed through the framework. The right to develop is tied to those individuals in the most need, and