The Ethics of Net Zero and Climate Action

Call for abstracts

ANU Workshop: The Ethics of Net Zero and Climate Action 

The School of Philosophy at ANU will host a one-day workshop on philosophical topics connected to the ethics of net zero, and of climate action more broadly.

Venue: Research School of Social Sciences, ANU, Canberra, Australia

Date: Monday 1 July 2024

Speakers will include Stephen Gardiner (University of Washington), Christian Barry (ANU) and Garrett Cullity (ANU).

To be considered for inclusion as a speaker at the workshop, please submit an anonymized abstract of 500 words (max.) to the workshop address [email protected] by the deadline 31 May 2024. Successful applicants will be notified shortly thereafter.

Any proposal falling under the workshop topic, broadly construed, will be considered. However, we envisage that the issues to be covered will include:

• What standards for balancing emissions increases against emissions reductions are ethically appropriate for assessing the attainment of net zero?
• What conditions must be met for the adoption of a net zero target to be an ethically responsible contribution to global climate action?
• What policies for the promotion of net zero targets through regulation and incentives are ethically sound?
• How does the need for coordination of climate action by actors of different kinds affect the contributions that each should make towards effective global action?
• Are carbon offsets an ethically acceptable way of reducing your carbon footprint and making progress towards net zero, or a morally bogus form of greenwashing, as many critics allege?

A partial travel subvention will be provided to speakers to assist with travel and accommodation expenses.                                                                

The workshop is funded by the ARC Discovery-Projects grant DP230101335.