Intergenerational Justice and Climate Change
I have discussed international justice and the concept of a social discount rate in a number of places. For my most recent discussion see:
[1] ‘Climate Change, Intergenerational Equity, and the Social Discount Rate’, Politics, Philosophy & Economics, vol.13 no.4 (2014), pp.320-342. [This discusses three kinds of reason for discounting, and their implications for mitigating climate change, arguing that none undermine the case for a radical programme of mitigation.]
For earlier discussions of intergenerational justice and climate change see:
[2] 'Climate Change and the Future: Discounting for Time, Wealth and Risk', Journal of Social Philosophy vol.40 no.2 (2009), pp.163-186. [This discusses reasons for discounting, including appeals to risk and uncertainty.]
[3] ‘Human Rights, Climate Change, and Discounting’, Environmental Politics vol.17 no.4 (2008), pp.536-555. A revised version has been reprinted in Climate Change, Ethics and Human Security (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010) edited by Karen O’Brien, Asuncion Lera St. Clair, and Berit Kristoffersen, pp.113-130.