The interests and wellbeing of future generations are factored into current environmental negotiations primarily through the ethical commitments of present-day individuals who care about the welfare of others.

Ethical Considerations as the Basis for Representing Future Generations' Interests

A significant challenge in addressing climate change is that future generations, who will bear the burden of decisions made today, have no voice or representation in the current policymaking process.

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The intergenerational nature of climate change creates a fundamental policy problem regarding the distribution of costs and benefits. Economic activities today impose costs, in the form of environmental damage, on future generations. Conversely, policies to mitigate these effects require the current generation to bear the costs, while the benefits are primarily received by those in the future.

Intergenerational Distribution of Costs and Benefits in Climate Change Policy

To cite the ebook, use The CORE Econ Team 2023 The Economy 2.0: Microeconomics Open access e-text https://core-econ.org/the-economy/.

To cite a unit, use The CORE Econ Team 2023 The Economy 2.0: Microeconomics Open access e-text https://core-econ.org/the-economy/ Unit [unit number] (url).

CORE Econ - The Economy 2.0: Microeconomics

Lack of Representation of Future Generations in Climate Policymaking

From the perspective of a neutral policymaker, a fundamental question arises when evaluating climate policies: are there justifiable reasons to value the future benefits for subsequent generations less than the costs and benefits experienced by the current population? This query sets the stage for considering arguments for and against discounting the future.

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