Global equity and fairness in the face of physical, economic and social change
A key challenge will be in softening the problems for those hardest hit by expensive or unavailable energy, food, transport and housing.
To alleviate hardship, primarily among the poor half the proceeds of the global tax on carbon should be directed to this purpose. They would start at US$45 per person year and increase to US$225 within 5 years. This compensation could be supplemented by rationing systems to ensure each global citizen receives a fair share of those goods and services that temporarily will be in short supply – for example, food, power and fuel. 1WP
Shift subsidies from fossil fuel to human employment. Phasing out over five years all subsidies that support greenhouse gas emissions, and use the proceeds to help soften transitional unemployment problems. By some estimations, these subsidies amount to US$4.7 trillion – more than enough to matter. 1WP
Develop adaptation plan for low lying coastal areas (dikes, staged retreat, floating cities, flood and saline resistant agriculture and a resettlement plan for millions of climate refugees – significant international cooperation will be required to overcome these challenges and avoid the worst geopolitical threats. 1WP
Mitigation strategy for large-scale famine. Climate change is very likely to impact negatively on the world’s agriculture, particularly towards the middle of the century. Disaster relief organisations and the military should make concrete plans for such developments and their geopolitical implications. 1WP
Develop the global economy with a focus on sustainability, the elimination of poverty and closed loop, zero waste and zero net CO2e production and consumption. Shift economic policy to a focus on quality of life vs material growth for its own sake. 1WP TCM
FOOTNOTES
The scenarios and actions outlines in this section have been derived from:
1WP: Randers, J & Gilding, P (2010). The one degree war plan. Journal of Global Responsibility, Vol. 1 No. 1 pp 170. https://paulgilding.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/one-degree-war-plan-emerald-version.pdf
TCM: Silk, E (2016) The Climate Mobilization Victory Plan. Published by The Climate Mobilization August 2016, revised March 2019. https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/victory-plan