ABSTRACT

If the present generation refuses to bear the burden of mitigating global heating, could we motivate sufficient action by shifting that burden to our descendants? Several writers have proposed breaking the political impasse by funding mitigation through public debt. Critics attack such proposals as both unjust and infeasible. In fact, there is reason to think that some debt financing may be more equitable than placing the whole burden of mitigation on the present generation. While it might not be viable for all countries to take this route simultaneously, a vanguard state, or group of states, could use public debt to fund an ambitious programme to develop inexpensive forms of clean low- or no-emission technology. This would ensure that vanguard actor or set of actors a leading role in those sectors while at the same time benefiting future generations around the world.

Key policy insights

• Debt-financed clean technology research can shift part of the burden of greenhouse gas mitigation to our descendants, breaking the political impasse of inaction or delayed action.

• Far from being an injustice to future generations, this could actually be fairer than expecting the present generation to bear the full burden of mitigation.

• Such an initiative may be most feasible if pursued by a vanguard actor.

摘要

如果当代人拒绝承担减轻全球变暖的负担，我们能否通过将这一负担转移给我们的后代来激发足够的行动？几位作者提议通过公共债务为缓解措施提供资金来打破政治僵局。批评者抨击这些提议既不公正又不可行。事实上，有理由认为，一些债务融资可能更多比将缓解的全部负担放在当代人身上更公平。虽然并非所有国家都能同时采取这条路线，但一个先锋国家或国家集团可以利用公共债务为一项雄心勃勃的计划提供资金，以开发廉价的清洁低排放或无排放技术。这将确保先锋演员或演员组在这些领域发挥主导作用，同时造福世界各地的子孙后代。

关键政策见解

• 债务融资的清洁技术研究可以将温室气体减排的部分负担转移给我们的后代，打破不作为或延迟行动的政治僵局。

• 这远非对子孙后代的不公正，实际上可能比期望当代人承担全部缓解负担更公平。

• 如果由先锋行动者追求，这样的举措可能是最可行的。