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Once More on Intergenerational Discounting in Climate-Change Analysis: Reply to Partha Dasgupta

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  • John Roemer

Abstract

Discounting the utilities of future generations in many problems, such as climate-change analysis, has several justifications, only one of which can be supported by ethics which postulate that every individual, no matter when born, has an equal right to well-being. That justification is that future generations may not exist. In an earlier article published here, I explained this view, and criticized economists who deviate from it: the practical aspect of this deviation is to choose discount rates which are far too high, thus relegating future generations to lower utility than they a priori have a right to. As well, many economists continue to rely upon a utilitarian ethic, a reliance which is independent of the discounting issue, but which I also criticize. Dasgupta responded to my article; the present article is a response to Dasgupta. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

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  • John Roemer, 2013. "Once More on Intergenerational Discounting in Climate-Change Analysis: Reply to Partha Dasgupta," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 56(1), pages 141-148, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:56:y:2013:i:1:p:141-148
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-013-9694-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Llavador, Humberto & Roemer, John E. & Silvestre, Joaquim, 2011. "“A dynamic analysis of human welfare in a warming planet”," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(11), pages 1607-1620.
    2. Stern,Nicholas, 2007. "The Economics of Climate Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521700801.
    3. Partha Dasgupta, 2008. "Discounting climate change," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 141-169, December.
    4. Partha Dasgupta, 2011. "The Ethics of Intergenerational Distribution: Reply and Response to John E. Roemer," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 50(4), pages 475-493, December.
    5. John Roemer, 2011. "The Ethics of Intertemporal Distribution in a Warming Planet," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 48(3), pages 363-390, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Partha Dasgupta, 2013. "Response to “Roemer, Mark 1+epsilon”," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 56(1), pages 149-150, September.
    2. Athanasoglou, Stergios & Bosetti, Valentina & Drouet, Laurent, 2017. "A Simple Framework for Climate-Change Policy under Model Uncertainty," MITP: Mitigation, Innovation and Transformation Pathways 254043, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    3. Davidson, Marc D., 2014. "Zero discounting can compensate future generations for climate damage," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 40-47.
    4. Geir B. Asheim, 2017. "Sustainable growth," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 49(3), pages 825-848, December.

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