Climate, Cash and Conscience: Why the Ethics of Climate Change Is Complicated

A consensus has emerged that the only ethical response to today's widespread concern about the effects of climate change is for the world to move to net zero emissions of CO2 as quickly as possible, and for developed countries to make huge cash transfers to developing countries. Yet in the recent past, some well-intentioned policies which enjoyed consensus when first proposed have resulted in unforeseen negative consequences for the environment. Some of the measures now being proposed risk exacerbating rather than ameliorating poverty in both developing and developed countries. Responsible Christian stewardship may require rethinking these issues.