The air pollution generated by motor vehicles and by static sources is, in certain geographic areas, a very serious problem, a problem that exists because of a failure of the marketplace. To address this marketplace failure, the State of California has mandated that by 2003, 10% of the Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet (LDV) be composed of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). However, the policy-making process that was utilized to generate the ZEV mandate was problematic and the resulting ZEV mandate is economically unsound. (...) Moreover, an ethical analysis, based primarily upon the work of John Rawls, suggests that implementation of the California ZEV mandate is—in spite of the wide latitude that ought to be given to policy decision makers—unethical. A more ethical and economically efficient approach to the pollution caused by marketplace failure is one that relies on market incentives and thereby achieves the desired improvement in air quality by appealing both to the self-interest of motorists and to those businesses that are directly or indirectly involved with the automobile industry. Such an approach would take better advantage of the creative forces of the market and improvements in technology over time and avoid the infringements on individual liberty and fairness embodied in the ZEV mandate. (shrink)

In recent years, the target of reaching “net zero” emissions by 2050 has come to the forefront of global climate politics. Net zero would see carbon emissions matched by carbon removals and should allow the planet to avoid dangerous climate change. But the recent prominence of this goal should not distract from the fact that there are many possible versions of net zero. Each of them will have different climate justice implications, and some of them (...) could have very negative consequences for the world's poor. This article demonstrates the many ambiguities of net zero, and argues in favor of a net zero strategy in which those who can reasonably bear the burden adopt early and aggressive mitigation policies. We also argue for a net zero strategy in which countries place the lion's share of their faith in known emissions reduction approaches, rather than being heavily reliant on as-yet-unproven “negative emissions techniques.” Our overarching goal is to put net zero in its place, by providing a clear-sighted view of what net zero will achieve, and where the “net” in net zero needs to be tightened further if the world is to achieve climate justice. (shrink)

To achieve the very specific goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, many technical challenges and conflicts of interest must be overcome. How can a strategy be developed that is politically and socially acceptable? Research is needed to support societal efforts to rethink the links between energy use and human well-being.

The urgency of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 has intensified political commitments to a Green Transition. Yet, current strategies often overlook the structural links between carbon emissions and economic inequality. This paper argues that effective and fair climate action within developed liberal democracies must directly address economic disparities. I develop this claim through three main arguments. First, since the wealthiest 1% are disproportionately responsible for emissions, climate justice should shift its normative focus from the poor to (...) the super-rich. While this resonates with emission limitarianism, its isolationist framework remains too narrow. Instead, I propose a non-monist integrationist approach that embeds climate justice within broader concerns of distributive justice. Second, extreme economic inequality erodes democratic institutions, fostering plutocratic tendencies, and also enables the super-rich to obstruct decarbonization through lobbying, litigation, and climate change denialism. Third, in developed liberal democracies, climate action centred solely on subsistence needs or poverty eradication lacks democratic legitimacy. If seen as worsening inequality, such policies face backlash. These concerns lead me to advocate for what I call the principle of proportionality, which requires that wealth and income inequalities be contained within well-defined limits. This principle offers a more viable and just framework for the Green Transition than competing distributive criteria. (shrink)

States and other climate actors now commonly set ‘net zero’ targets – pledging that, by a certain date, they will put no more carbon into the atmosphere than they take out. However, there is controversy over what exactly should count as attaining such targets. The method of emissions accounting that states currently use – territorial emissions accounting – is often criticized as problematic, but a fully satisfactory explanation of the problem is needed. We argue that the key (...) both to understanding the problem and to solving it is that there is a specific kind of cooperative contribution – a mereological contribution – that a national net zero commitment needs to make to global climate action in order to meet the standards that global citizens should hold states to. On this basis, we propose an alternative method – Contributory Value-Chain Accounting – showing how it can be qualified to reflect trade relationships between net-zero-aligned countries, and defending it against the objections that it involves double counting, is infeasible and too informationally demanding, and that it would send the wrong incentive signals. (shrink)

In this paper, I am concerned with how healthcare systems ought to transition away from the greenhouse gas emissions that they have historically relied on to provide care. I address two questions in relation to this issue. The first is what emissions target should healthcare systems adopt? Second, is how should the burdens of mitigation be shared fairly in light of that target? I argue that sufficientarianism offers an attractive way to answer both of these questions because it (...) is better situated to strike the right balance between healthcare benefits and the costs of mitigation than rivals. Sufficiency describes the view that what is important from the perspective of distributive justice is that individuals have enough. I argue that this ideal can be used to set a threshold of enough health from which an emissions threshold can be set. Once an emissions threshold is in place, this can be used to demarcate permissible from impermissible emissions in healthcare. In turn, the emissions threshold provides guidance on which emissions are liable to mitigation and when it would be fair for healthcare to shoulder the associated burdens. Permissible emissions, on the other hand, are necessary to secure sufficiency and so healthcare's mitigation responsibilities should be altered in light of this. I also discuss various alternative methods of setting an emissions target like net zero, zero emissions, emissions grandfathering and emissions egalitarianism. I point to several issues with these approaches. (shrink)

Emissions trading is widely regarded an instrument to achieve a net zero economy. The advantage of this instrument is that it is market oriented. However, emissions trading cannot operate optimally in isolation. This chapter underlines that complementary measures and cross-sectoral solidarity are essential for the coherent implementation of an emissions trading system as an instrument of choice for advancing net zero. This chapter reviews various existing emissions trading systems in different parts of the world, (...) the gaps to the coherent implementation to advance net zero objectives, and the reforms that are being carried out in the European Union (EU), from which several lessons are drawn in order to advance the coherent and efficient implementation of emissions trading systems (ETS). Public regulation must help ensure that the price of carbon does not grow excessively, because that may harm consumers in times of crisis. At the same time, it must ensure that the price of carbon does not fall excessively, since that causes the collapse of the system. (shrink)

This study examines the influence of firm governance structures (board size, independence, CEO duality, director share ownership, and board meeting frequency) in relation to carbon emission disclosures by high-polluting Chinses firms. In addition, the study further examined the moderating role of earnings management on this relationship. In line with stakeholder and agency theories, our study identified that the large and independent boards exercise and demonstrate a higher degree of carbon emission disclosures. However, CEO duality and director share ownership are associated (...) with lower carbon emission disclosures. In addition, the study determined that higher earnings management results in a reduced level of carbon emission disclosures. Lastly, a firm earnings management strategy moderates the relationship between a firm governance structure and its carbon emission disclosures. The findings from the study are consistent with multiple econometric models and variables. The findings from the study contribute to the literature in the areas of firm corporate governance and carbon emission disclosures by documenting the moderating role of earnings management, which is not evident in previous studies; provide an enhanced perspective on the implications for firms, regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders who have an interest in reducing carbon emissions and advancing climate change mitigation goals in line with UN's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: climate action, and zero emissions goal by 2050. (shrink)

In their role as political actors and lobbyists, corporations have responsibilities to help determine the existence and content of global regulations of pollutants. The ethical nature of those responsibilities is highly sensitive to the assumed normative framework. This paper compares several frameworks by modeling them as differently weighted versions of utilitarianism. Under a strict neoclassical approach, corporations have a narrow obligation to maximize profits, which generally entails opposing emission regulations. In contrast, a stakeholder approach as well as Marxian and common (...) ethics approaches suggest that firms have an obligation to actively support sustainable emission regulations with the following properties • major restrictions would be global rather than local• global restrictions would apply in all cases of persistent emissions• global restrictions would apply to non-persistent emissions as well, unless they have been affirmatively shown to be safe using reasonably persuasive scientific evidence• safety thresholds would be set fairly restrictively, based on administrative models and rules of thumb, in light of existing scientific knowledge but without requiring full scientific justification• long-run goals would include zero emission of persistent unsafe substances.However, the stakeholder approach supports phase-in rules to mitigate short-run compliance costs. (shrink)

Corporate net-zero carbon emission pledges abound and so does skepticism about the results they could deliver. Three approaches proposed here can ensure these pledges alleviate, rather than aggravate, the climate crisis.

Mitochondrial ultraweak photon emission (UPE) is canonically attributed to stochastic reactive oxygen species chemistry and excited carbonyl relaxation. The companion paper (Meyler, 2026a) established a formal information-theoretic framework—mutual information bounds, the data processing inequality, a seven-condition blocking protocol, and a photon-substitution arm—that converts the signaling hypothesis into a set of falsifiable inequalities. The present paper contributes three advances beyond that framework. First, we identify a precise structural analogy between mitochondrial UPE and Hawking radiation, operating at the level of information theory (...) rather than physics: both systems generate fields whose local reduced statistics are thermal, yet whose global state can carry non-zero mutual information accessible only through higher-order photon correlations. Second, we identify the normalized second-order photon correlation function g²(τ)—the observable that distinguishes thermal, coherent, and sub-Poissonian fields—as the specific statistic that encodes this mutual information in the UPE case, and show that it is the correct discriminating observable by exactly analogous reasoning to the Page (1993) result for Hawking radiation. Third, we introduce cross-population near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) redox state as a new experimental readout: faster and more directly mechanistic than oxygen consumption rate (OCR) alone, it supplies a second independent time series for estimating I(X;Y) from the relevant variables. Together these contributions specify the minimal decisive experiment that resolves whether UPE constitutes a photonic information channel—and explain why no amount of improved optical shielding can substitute for it. (shrink)

Cavity-induced changes in atomic spontaneous emission rates are often interpreted in terms of quantum electrodynamical zero-point field fluctuations. A completely classical method of computing this effect in terms of the unquantized normal mode structure of the cavity is presented here. Upon applying the result to a classical dipole radiating between parallel mirrors, we obtain the same cavity correction as that for atomic spontaneous emission in such a cavity. The theory is then compared with a recent experiment in the radio-frequency (...) domain. (shrink)

Net Zero and Natural Resources Law offers a comprehensive and authoritative account of the nature, scope, and guiding principles of natural resources law and policy in a net zero era. In response to the climate emergency, several countries, corporations, and other actors worldwide have announced programmes aimed at bringing down global emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change to net zero by the year 2060 or earlier. While the need for a clean energy transition (...) is clear, incoherently designed transition programmes could produce complex environmental, social, and governance risks, including legal liability and protracted disputes. At the same time, the growing rush for minerals needed to manufacture clean energy technologies raises fundamental questions. Most crucial is how to ensure the exploration and development of energy transition minerals in a manner that does not exacerbate resource conflicts, resource nationalism, human rights violations, protectionism, energy insecurity, social exclusions, and inequity, especially in conflict-affected and high-risk regions. With case studies from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Australasia, this book offers a multijurisdictional exposition of how legal and regulatory systems are responding and can better respond to the wide range of sovereignty, security, and solidarity risks in the clean energy transition. Consideration is given to a nexus and integrated resource governance roadmap—focusing on net zero-aligned natural resource contracts, legislation, mineral strategies, human rights due diligence tools, dispute resolution and cooperative mechanisms—needed to improve coherence and coordination in the design, financing, and implementation of energy transition programmes across the entire natural resource value chain. (shrink)

This chapter examines how international solidarity and cooperation in the reform of investment protection relating to the utilization of non-renewable natural resources could help mitigate the wide range of sovereignty, security, and justice risks of net zero and the clean energy transition. Reforms of investment treaties based on international cooperation can help contribute to the phasing out of fossil assets. These reforms can first consist in excluding fossil investments from the international investment protection regime. Environmental carve-outs in modernized investment (...) treaties could recognize states’ right to adopt phase-out decisions without payment of compensation, and environmental considerations could be explicitly included in the valuation methods. In parallel, the adoption of market-based reforms in the energy sector can contribute to reducing the possible damages due when fossil assets are required to close down. Investment treaty and market reforms are necessary to mitigate the risk of damages due to closing down fossil assets and keeping fossil fuels in the ground, without withdrawing from or terminating investment treaties that have a role to play in de-risking the clean energy investments needed to transition to net zero emissions. (shrink)

Pure zero is also not the same as the concept of nothing. Nothing is a level of existence where not even one desired item exists. But fundamentally, nothing is part of existence. Mathematics, in its most basic application, deals with counting entities. That is, counting what has been accepted as existing. But nothing is the manifestation of the absence of being. It is the beginning of existence and its foundation, but it is not nothingness.

This chapter unpacks the role of regional free trade agreements, with clear and comprehensive natural resource and environmental provisions, as an instrument for decarbonizing natural resource supply value chains and advancing regional solidarity for net zero. Drawing lessons from the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), this chapter proposes a roadmap for promoting regional solidarity for net zero through regional trade agreements that allow countries to move towards a net zero emissions economy, contribute to sustainable development, and guarantees (...) access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. One of the key lessons highlighted in this chapter is that, although the USMCA is a trade agreement whose objective is not environmental protection, it could provide an ideal mechanism to establish an institutional structure that allows the definition of a regional policy to achieve the goal of zero emissions by 2050 based on the principle of climate solidarity. (shrink)

Tourism, an important economic activity for any nation, contributes significantly to GDP, particularly fast tourism, which means mass travelling and short-duration trips. As tourism expands, it necessitates the expansion of infrastructure, which requires energy consumption at a higher level leading to a rise in carbon footprints and environmental degradation. These difficulties hinder long-term livelihoods by increasing access to energy market volatility and insecurity as well as global supply chain interruptions, thereby impeding progress in achieving a Net Zero goal by (...) 2050 in G20 countries, which currently account for 80% of global carbon emissions. Hence, understanding the connection between economic sectors and CO2 emissions becomes important. The study analyses the long-term relationship among tourism, population growth, economic growth, renewable energy and CO2 emissions by using Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) in panel data analysis for G20 countries from 1990 to 2021, covering key global scenarios such as global financial crisis of 2008 and covid-19, to take the cross-sectional dependence into consideration. Further, the study concludes that tourism positively influences the economy’s growth and promotes carbon emissions. Thus, it provides insight into maintaining economic growth and environmental sustainability by shifting towards renewable energy. Finally, the study suggests fostering low carbon emission development in G20 nations. (shrink)

The hydrogen market in the world today is capable ovule and empirical evidence on activity of patents in fuel cells and hydrogen production is limited so far. Patent applications in zero-emission mobility in the aspect of fuel cells include: DAFC/dmfc&dmfc, PEMFC, SOFC, AFC, PAFC. As for the patents relating to the hydrogen production, they concern low carbon, electrolysis and inorganic. The purpose of the study was to investigate certain aspects of the activity of patents in fuel cells and hydrogen (...) production in the context of passenger car fleet in the Visegrad group (V4) countries and to explore the relationship between patent registrations and GDP per capita in V4. The research area relates to the answer to the question of whether a country’s involvement in zero-emission patent activity (patents in fuel cells and hydrogen production) could contribute to the renewal of the country’s passenger car fleet. The theses were formulated as follows: 1) activity of patents in fuel cells and hydrogen production in the V4 countries doesn’t depend on the car fleet in these countries, 2) the level of GDP per capita in the V4 countries is not followed by the number of patents registrations in hydrogen technology, 3) the highest patent activity in fuel cells and hydrogen production doesn’t mean that the car fleet in these country will be zero-emission in coming years. The method used in this article is a comparative analysis, but also the relationships between patent registrations, GDP per capita and passenger car fleet in V4 are considered. (shrink)

This chapter examines the natural resources law and policy strategies that Colombia has adopted towards carbon neutrality and a totally clean energy matrix. Colombia is one of those countries whose electricity production matrix is relatively clean. Colombia is only responsible for 0.4 per cent of CO2 world emissions. However, due to its biodiversity, it is one of the countries that can be most affected by the consequences of climate change. Consequently, while the energy policy has focused on diversifying the (...) electricity matrix with clean technologies, the national economy is highly dependent on the production and export of oil and other fossil fuels such as coal. This chapter explores the security challenges associated with reducing dependence on the exploitation and export of oil and coal in Colombia. Specific questions to be considered include: What are the consequences in fiscal matters of transition policies for the national energy matrix, and what are the complementary public policy strategies and regulations that must be adopted to achieve carbon neutrality while ensuring energy security? (shrink)

This chapter investigates the potential for climate legislation and a nexus of regulation and normative practices to drive decarbonization across the many sectors that are needed to progressively meet Australia’s net zero emission targets. Australia has recently elected a national government which has committed to stronger targets for reaching net zero by 2050. That government faces specific challenges in meeting that commitment following the dismantling of much of Australia’s statutory regime for decarbonization in 2014. At a subnational government (...) level there has been significant activity in moving to renewable energy generation. Several state governments enacted climate change legislation, setting mitigation targets and developing clear adaptation pathways, yet other states remain major coal-dependent, and more significantly, liquified natural gas exporters, principally into Asia. The national electricity market rules remain in need of revision to fully harmonize and realize the trend towards decarbonization. This chapter explores the potential for climate litigation to propel faster and systemic change across various sectors, particularly in relation to Australia’s continuing high levels of fossil fuel exports. (shrink)

As of 2024, almost half of the worlds’ 500 largest companies have made climate change commitments. As global companies, this includes accounting for and reducing emissions from their activities in China. However, since the companies’ ambitions are higher than China’s target of an emissions peak in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060, they need to go beyond the practice of the circumstances in China to meet their commitments. Based on a review of company commitments and policy documents, I (...) analyze the situation around and inside Western companies’ net-zero ambitions in China. First, within a sample of large global companies with high exposure to China, I provide a comparison of net-zero commitments and progress covering their goals, scopes, accounting, and tools. Here I find a consensus around the core principles of reaching net-zero but substantial variation in how this goal is operationalized. Second, I analyze the current circumstances in China for such companies to account for and to reduce their carbon footprint. From this, I determine that due to a number of inhibiting factors inside China, the companies are not able to operationalize their commitments the same way in China as in other countries. Finally, based on the inhibiting factors identified, I provide policy recommendations for Chinese policymakers on how to create a facilitating environment as well as to global companies for how to tailor their global ambitions to the Chinese context. The finding that global companies’ net-zero commitments require substantial local tailoring suggests an urgent need for further research into how this can be done, as companies are already short on time to meet their commitments. (shrink)

In this fourth paper in a series on stochastic electrodynamics (SED), the harmonic oscillator-zero-point field system in the presence of an arbitrary applied classical radiation field is studied further. The exact closed-form expressions are found for the time-dependent probability that the oscillator is in the nth eigenstate of the unperturbed SED Hamiltonian H 0 , the same H 0 as that of ordinary quantum mechanics. It is shown that an eigenvalue of H 0 is the average energy that the (...) oscillator would have if its wave function could be just the corresponding eigenstate. The level shift for each unperturbed eigenvalue is found and shown to be unobservable for a different reason than in the corresponding QED treatment. Perturbation theory is applied to the SED Schrödinger equation to derive first-order transition rates for spontaneous emission and resonance absorption. The results agree with those of quantum electrodynamics, but the mathematics is strikingly different. It is shown that SED demands discarding the ideas of quantized energies, photons, and completeness of the Schrödinger equation, Finally, an intuitive physical SED model is suggested for the photoeffect and for Clauser's (2) coincidence experiment. (shrink)

It is now widely recognized that net zero by 2050 transition cannot be achieved without major reductions in carbon emissions from the building and the related infrastructure development sector including both from building operations and from carbon embedded in construction materials. Collectively the construction and operation of buildings are one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Reductions need to occur quickly since buildings constructed today will likely still be in service well (...) beyond 2070 and most existing buildings will remain in service in 2050. Transitioning to net zero buildings are also likely to have a significant impact on several areas of natural resources law including land use, construction and infrastructure development law, energy security, environment, zoning, procurement, and energy solidarity. This chapter focuses on the legal and policy challenges in pursuing net zero buildings strategies that can dramatically reduce the role of buildings in climate change. (shrink)

This is the first in a series of papers that present a new classical statistical treatment of the system of a charged harmonic oscillator (HO) immersed in an omnipresent stochastic zero-point (ZP) electromagnetic radiation field. This paper establishes the Gaussian statistical properties of this ZP field using Bourret's postulate that all statistical moments of the stochastic field plane waves at a given space-time point should agree with their corresponding quantized field vacuum expectations. This postulate is more than adequate to (...) derive the Planck spectrum classically via Boyer's and Theimer's methods, but it requires that the stochastic amplitude of each linearly polarized plane wave in the field contain two independent Gaussian random variables, not just a random phase as has sometimes been assumed. In the succeeding papers in the series, the total motion of a charged HO is described by a fully renormalized dipole-approximation Abraham-Lorentz equation. This leads without further approximation to the following major results concerning this stochastic electrodynamics (SED) of the HO: i) The ensemble-average Liouville equation for the oscillator-ZP field system in the presence of an arbitrary applied classical radiation field is exactly equivalent to the usual time-dependent Schrödinger equation supplemented by an explicit radiation reaction vector potential similar to that of the Crisp-Jaynes-Stroud theory; ii) this SED Schrödinger equation for the HO is incomplete, insmuch as there exists a companion equation that restricts initial conditions such that the corresponding Wigner phase-space distribution is always positive; iii) the wave function of the SED Schrödinger equation has thea priori significance of position probability amplitude; iv) first-order transition rates predicted for the HO by this theory agree with those predicted by quantum electrodynamics for resonance absorption and spontaneous emission, which occurs with no triggering necessary; and v) if SED is taken seriously, then the concepts of quantized energies and photons must be abandoned. (shrink)

Emissions grandfathering maintains that prior emissions increase future emission entitlements. The view forms a large part of actual emission control frameworks, but is routinely dismissed by political theorists and applied philosophers as evidently unjust. A sympathetic theoretical reconsideration of grandfathering suggests that the most plausible version is moderate, allowing that other considerations should influence emission entitlements, and be justified on instrumental grounds. The most promising instrumental justification defends moderate grandfathering on the basis that one extra unit of emission (...) entitlements from a baseline of zero emissions increases welfare to a greater extent where it is assigned to a high emitter than where it is assigned to a low emitter. Moderate grandfathering can be combined with basic needs and ability to pay considerations to provide an attractive approach to allocating emission entitlements. (shrink)

Meeting the net zero emission targets set by many states after the Paris Agreement to help keep global warming well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels will require carbon dioxide removal technologies (CDRs). Several moral concerns arise if the contribution of CDRs to achieving net zero is not specified, but such concerns can be met by defining a permissible target for CDRs. This paper proposes a framework for defining the permissible contribution of CDRs to the net zero targets (...) of individual states. The framework identifies three categories of emissions for which the permissibility of CDRs varies depending on the ethical costs of both emission abatement and CDRs. We argue that a) luxury emissions should be reduced without using CDRs; b) emissions for full membership in society should be abated by structural efforts, although using CDRs is permissible, given certain conditions; and c) CDRs are permissible for residual emissions because otherwise net zero targets cannot be reached. (shrink)

This chapter is a brief response to David Weisbach’s call for a “policy” approach to climate change that dismisses ethics. It argues that though Weisbach provides a deeply tempting account of the realities of global climate politics, especially for an affluent Western audience, we should largely resist his vision, since it fails to take seriously the ethical challenge of the perfect moral storm. The response highlights concerns about dangerous utopianism and the true practical implications of an economic realist approach. It (...) also points out the ambiguity in “zero emissions _eventually_”, the flaws of the Kyoto Protocol, the radical elimination of climate justice, the evolution of unjust climate policy towards parochial geoengineering, and a concern about efficiency blinders. Finally it indicates the role of ethics in bearing witness to moral failure. (shrink)

Current moral and political theory offers different proposals for tackling climate change, judged by effectiveness, feasibility, and moral adequacy. Setting aside disputes about moral values, there is broad agreement that meaningful progress requires combining individual lifestyle changes, policy reforms aimed at net-zero emissions, and technological innovation such as carbon removal, solar radiation management, and improved renewable energy. This paper argues that, although this three-part strategy appears sensible, the assumption that all components must work together may hinder real progress. (...) After outlining the problem, the first section reviews the historical failure of political action and cautions against expecting major future improvements. The second section contends that, given current geopolitical and institutional constraints, technological innovation offers the most feasible and effective route forward. This stance—strategic realism—focuses on what is likely to work rather than on ideal prescriptions. The third section addresses two objections: first, the moral hazard of relying on not-yet-developed technologies; second, the claim that prioritizing technology assumes an implausibly apolitical view of technological decision-making, risking reduced democratic accountability. The paper concludes by responding to both concerns. (shrink)

Transforming the global economy’s energy basis from its longstanding dependence on fossil fuels to a system based on renewable sources is an immense and urgent undertaking. In 2024, world GDP exceeded $111 trillion, and according to the International Energy Agency, more than 80 percent of this economic activity is still powered by fossil fuels. This dependence must be reduced rapidly to limit the rise in global mean temperature to 1.5°C or, at most, 2°C. Meeting the 1.5°C target requires achieving net- (...) class='Hi'>zero carbon emissions by 2050, while a 2°C pathway allows only a few additional decades. By way of comparison, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, it took roughly a century for coal to surpass traditional biomass as the favored mode of energy consumption. Today, however, the pace of transition to renewable energy remains far slower than climate targets demand. This paper draws on the arguments I make in Mobilizing Hope to discuss how philosophers should theorize climate justice in the present context, why activism is especially important in the effort to achieve net-zero emissions, why forms of technology that could supplement mitigation should be researched, and some of the moral considerations such technology raises. (shrink)

This chapter examines the conflicting energy security and intergenerational equity implications of net zero transition for the development of energy and natural resources. It evaluates how resource-rich countries such as Canada can balance net zero ambitions with the goal of sustainable energy development in a manner that advances intergenerational equity. It examines concerns about faux law—unenforceable political pronouncements that may arise from Canada’s net zero ambitions, especially federal system jurisdictional limitations, including federal, provincial, and indigenous jurisdiction, rights-based (...) limitations, particularly constitutional, statutory, civil, and indigenous rights. The chapter evaluates existing and potential international and domestic law and policy tools to reconcile and address intergenerational equity concerns in Canada’s net zero ambitions and its current position among developed states as a leading global hydrocarbon producer (focused on the Alberta oil sands). (shrink)

Designing policy for climate change requires analyses which integrate the interrelationship between the economy and the environment. We argue that, despite their dominance in the economics literature and influence in public discussion and policymaking, the methodology employed by Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) rests on flawed foundations, which become particularly relevant in relation to the realities of the immense risks and challenges of climate change, and the radical changes in our economies that a sound and effective response require. We identify a (...) set of critical methodological problems with the IAMs which limit their usefulness and discuss the analytic foundations of an alternative approach that is more capable of providing insights into how best to manage the transition to net-zero emissions. (shrink)

In the middle of the twentieth century, the restructuring of the world production system, linked to the market and hydrocarbon transformation, brought about a new surge in the manufacturing industry in many Global South countries, along with some industrial development. The petrochemical industries in Argentina and Mexico grew at three different times: the first was in the 1950s and 1960s when the import substitution model was solidified; the second was in 1970 when the nationalist plan created petrochemical complexes; and the (...) third was in the 1990s when markets were deregulated, privatized, and denationalized. The petrochemical complexes in Altamira in Mexico and Bahía Blanca in Argentina belong to the two aforementioned moments. Their origin is in the modernizing atmosphere rooted in economic and political nationalism, which placed the big development hope in the hands of state-owned enterprises PEMEX and YPF. However, a few decades later, the government would deliver the development of the petrochemical industry and its production to private capital, foreign and local. Now, the oil and gas industry is investing heavily in petrochemicals with a view to a 100% clean energy and zero emissions policy. Being opportunistic, the petrochemical industry needs access to five elements that allow it to produce anywhere on the planet. These elements are water, electricity, hydrocarbon ducts (which guarantee raw material), communications routes (focusing on ports that allow for fast export), and lax and weak legislation on foreign investment, taxes, and environmental protection. To observe the environmental and urban impact produced by the development of the petrochemical industry in peripheral cities, this chapter proposes a historical review of two case studies: the Tampico-Madero metropolitan zone and the city of Bahía Blanca. Through a bibliographical, cartographical, and archival review, the objective is to understand the severe effects of petrochemical megacomplexes on the environment and the land set in a geographical-historical system of continued exploitation. (shrink)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved and is a regular part of business today, with companies among the most influential agents of social and economic change in the world. With a strong commitment to reducing waste and saving resources, companies have been raising the standard of living and wellbeing for their extended communities. Employee engagement, operational planning, and the effective use of technology comes bundled with modern day CSR. Large and small companies alike have been striving to strike a balance (...) between tackling the climate crisis and empowering employees with a sense of social responsibility and sustainable morality towards greater planetary good. One of the most effective ways that organizations can step up to global sustainability and champion obligatory CSR goals is through green buildings. Ensuring employee wellbeing and health while encouraging cleaner energy and zero carbon emissions may seem overwhelming. But if the buildings that large corporations operate from do not support the fundamental objectives of healthier people and a greener planet, then the beneficial effects of their other social efforts are undermined. Buildings contribute to almost 37% of the total global carbon emissions (UNEP, Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction: Towards a Zero emission, 2021), making green structures an effective CSR tool and an important part of any company’s investments. In fact, over a fifth of the largest corporations in the world have committed to net zero targets (Martella, Now is the time for businesses to act on Global Sustainability, 2022), going beyond just their own governmental requirements. This paper explores various ways greener buildings can help companies shift towards green CSR using Smart technology and sustainable practices. It highlights the critical need to leverage persuasive and behavioral strategies to increase employee engagement with sustainability. Both existing structures and new buildings can utilize a variety of techniques to transform the way they function. This can fulfil the triple bottom lines (3BL) of people, planet, and profit that are crucial for CSR. However, because a building’s operation is primarily determined by its occupants, influencing employees’ energy consumption habits by means of effective communication is often key to achieving sustainable sustainability. (shrink)

As the race towards global Net Zero emissions continues, governments and businesses alike are increasingly being held accountable to sustainability pledges. Organisations are pressured to engage in environmentally friendly practices through policy, regulation, or market influences. Although many individuals and organisations recognise the importance of climate positive behaviour, they may struggle to consistently engage for various reasons. Often, these challenges arise due to organisations lacking structures or social orientations that prioritise environmental well-being, as many were established before climate (...) concerns became as widespread as they are today. Consequently, individuals are often working against the organisational machine to switch to pro-environmental behaviours. Matching conventional wisdom: doing the right thing is rarely easy. To address this, we suggest that familiar business efficiency methodologies are reframed to incorporate and sustain pro-environmental behaviours within organisations. Specifically, we propose a ‘Sustainable-by-Design’ approach, drawing from established Lean principles to improve efficiency in an organisation by reducing waste. Waste reduction is often associated with a reduction in internal cost and embodied greenhouse gas emissions. The true Lean principles foster a more pleasant and less frustrated customer and employee experience, contrasting historic associations with unempathetic ‘efficiency improvements’ for maximising profits in manufacturing industry. Rather than solely focusing on output efficiency, true Lean principles focus on harmony (sustainability) of a system. The Sustainable-by-Design approach is based upon this ‘Lean, not mean’ ideal. We propose adding value by combining this approach with behavioural science principles, such that the Lean, climate-friendly behaviours become the ‘path of least resistance’. This is achieved by working closely with the organisation to identify their specific behavioural, cultural, psychological, and social barriers and enablers to the target behaviours. Empathetic engagement with the organisation’s people facilitates the embedding of concurrent structural and social changes, resulting in an optimised organisation that encourages sustained, sustainable behaviours at its core. (shrink)

In the September 2022 discussion, Uwe Schulte interviews Jacob Sterling, Senior Director and Head of Ocean Decarbonization and Innovation at Maersk, about the company’s efforts to decarbonise container shipping. Sterling, who joined Maersk in 2009 from WWF, shares his early passion for environmental issues and his professional journey into sustainability. He outlines Maersk’s transition from port-to-port shipping to end-to-end logistics and emphasizes the company’s commitment to addressing its carbon footprint. Sterling discusses Maersk’s ambitious goal to achieve net-zero emissions (...) by 2040, a decade earlier than initially planned. He highlights the challenges and strategies, including the adoption of green methanol as an alternative fuel and the importance of collaborative efforts with suppliers and stakeholders. Sterling also underscores the need for government action, particularly the implementation of a global carbon tax on shipping, to accelerate the industry’s shift towards sustainability. The interview concludes with a call for tangible actions and regulatory support to drive the transition to greener shipping practices. (shrink)

In this article we address the so-called argument of «individual causal inefficacy» (ICI), according to which CO2-emission-generating actions are morally neutral with regards to climate change, in so far as, taken in their singularity, they are neither sufficient nor necessary to cause climate change. In the first part, we address the main substantive objection to ICI: if a single emission, analysed in isolation, does not cause any disutility, it is impossible to explain why climate change (which is the result of (...) a sum of emissions) is the source of an enormous disutility; thus, ICI should be rejected in so far as it leads to a conclusion that is logically inconsistent. We argue, contrary to this, that it is possible to hold together ICI and individual moral responsibility for climate change, given the characteristics of the natural carbon cycle and of net-zero emissions. In the second part, accordingly, we propose a theory of individual responsibility for climate change which is based on the distinction between individual and collective freedom to emit, compatibly with a given mitigation target. This theory allows us to maintain that there exists a moral duty to reduce individual emissions, without having to demonstrate the fallacy of ICI. This duty is based on distributive reasons, which can prescind from the direct causal relationship between individual polluting actions and climate damage. (shrink)

In this November 2022 discussion, Uwe Schulte interviews Shamini Harrington, Vice President Climate Change at Sasol and a Presidential Climate Change Commissioner for South Africa, about the company’s sustainability efforts and the broader concept of a “Just Transition”. Harrington details her journey into sustainability and Sasol’s 18-year commitment to environmental issues. Sasol, a major South African energy and chemicals company, is heavily reliant on coal but aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieve net-zero (...) emissions by 2050. Harrington explains Sasol’s strategy to transition to sustainable fuels and chemicals using Fischer-Tropsch technology, focusing on green hydrogen and renewable energy. She emphasizes the importance of partnerships, policy support, and the need for a careful and inclusive transition that does not exacerbate existing social inequalities. Harrington also highlights the role of the Presidential Climate Commission in fostering collaborative solutions for climate challenges. Finally, she underscores the importance of understanding a company’s emissions and setting clear targets to drive meaningful change. (shrink)

Significant challenges confronting China include reducing carbon emissions, dealing with the resulting problems, and meeting various requirements for long-term economic growth. As a result, the shift in industrial structure best reflects how human society utilizes resources and impacts the environment. To meet China's 2050 net-zero emissions target, we look at how technological innovations, financial development, renewable energy investment, population age, and the economic complexity index all play a role in environmental sustainability in China. Analyzing short- and long-term (...) relationships using ARDL bounds testing, we used historical data spanning 1990–2018. According to the study's findings, the cointegration between CO2 emissions and their underlying factors was found. The deterioration of the environment directly results from financial development, increasing economic complexity, and population aging. Technical advancements, investments in renewable energy sources, and changes to the industrial structure all contribute to lower CO2 emissions. Granger causality results were also reliably obtained in this study. According to our findings in the fight against environmental problems, a key tool for meeting long-term sustainability goals is policy prescriptions that use technological innovations, renewable energy investment, and industrial structure. (shrink)

This study presents the case of a Metropolitan Municipality in the Aegean Region of Turkey, which undertook a series of initiatives to conduct projects on environmental protection and sustainability. This case study was conducted as two separate studies as a part of Horizon 2020-funded ECHOES project under Work Package 6, aiming to gain insight into the collective magnitudes of energy-related choices and behavior. The starting point of the process is marked, in 2015, by the municipality becoming a party to the (...) Covenant of Mayors movement, joining around 8,000 signatories from over 50 countries. In line with European Union’s climate targets and associated energy-related policies, signatories of the Covenant of Mayors aim to decrease carbon emissions by 20% by 2020 and by 40% by 2030. In order to enhance the design and operationalization of policies for achieving these targets, each partner in the Covenant of Mayors is required to develop a Sustainable Energy Action Plan. The SEAP is to be prepared within 2 years of becoming a party to the Covenant of Mayors and involves action plans and projects in order to operationalize the strategies for achieving the associated targets. To this end, this study analyzes the Metropolitan Municipality’s SEAP and its components, which include zero-emission public transportation project, transformation of existing buildings to a more energy-efficient standard and related energy audit studies, a project for decreasing waiting periods in traffic via a Smart Traffic System, a pedestrianization project, and a project for increasing the use of geothermal energy for district heating. This study set out to identify the internal and external factors, as well as bottom-up and top-down mechanisms involved in various phases of the preparation and implementation of the SEAP. The research method was expert interviews, incorporating viewpoints and perceptions of stakeholders from different levels of the municipality. Among the key results are understanding the roles of enthusiasts and frontrunners in such initiative and the importance of top-management and central government support. (shrink)

This Special Section examines the normative challenges of the Green Transition under non-ideal political conditions marked by institutional inertia, distributive conflict, citizens’ motivational deficits, and increasing public contestation. Interpreting the Green Transition both as a set of concrete policy programs aimed at carbon neutrality and as a normative political imaginary oriented toward a just future green society, the Section brings together three original contributions by Luigi Caranti, Nunzio Alì, and Diana Piroli, along with a reply by Darrel Moellendorf. The contributions (...) explore the persistent tension between realism (broadly understood) and fairness in contemporary climate philosophy, with particular attention to liberal democracies. Caranti highlights the structural failures of political systems and defends a strategically realistic reliance on advanced green technologies as a residual source of hope. Alì focuses on the distributive dimension, arguing that effective and legitimate climate policies require containing economic inequality through a principle of proportionality. Piroli emphasizes democratic legitimacy, stressing the role of conflictual public spheres and climate counterpublics in mobilizing support and contestation. Moellendorf concludes by offering a synthetic response centered on mobilizing hope through technology, activism, and existing international norms. Together, the contributions argue that realism and fairness are mutually reinforcing, and that only their integration can render the Green Transition a realistic utopia worth persuading citizens to endorse. -/- The accelerating climate crisis has compelled political philosophy to investigate the contours of the so-called Green Transition under real-world, non-ideal conditions, such as persistent political inertia, distributive conflicts over resources, citizens’ motivational deficits, and widespread public contestation. [1] Within this context, the concept of the Green Transition concerns at least two related yet conceptually distinct interpretations. In its descriptive sense, it denotes several domestic and international programs aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050; one of the most ambitious projects is the European Green Deal, which involves a constellation of institutional commitments, regulatory mechanisms, and technological pathways across EU member states (see European Commission 2025a, 2025b). By contrast, in its normative sense, the idea of a Green Transition forms part of an emerging political imaginary that seeks to orient the organization of a coming green society and, in doing so, to illuminate the evaluative standards that ought to guide present political action towards it. [2] -/- This political imaginary is populated by a number of normative projects of a future green society (see Dobson 2016), a plurality of competing visions that structure contemporary debates, ranging from “degrowth” (see Schmelzer et al. 2022) and “post-growth” frameworks (see Jackson 2021) to “green-growth” and “sustainable-framework” models (see Rose 2019). -/- Some of these visions confine their focus to achieving net-zero emissions. Others advance the more expansive claim that the Green Transition requires a broader reconceptualization of the social order beyond production/consumption relations, including the reflection of non-sustainable forms of life, and the underlying self-understandings through which individuals apprehend their duties and responsibilities toward the natural world and future generations. -/- Both perspectives face a series of practical and normative questions. Firstly, the role of science and technology in the Green Transition and their relationship with democracy and demands for social justice (see Gardiner et al. 2021); Secondly, distributive conflicts over who should shoulder, and to what extent, the socioeconomic costs of the transition (see Roser and Seidel 2017). Thirdly, and perhaps most critically, the existence in society of different lifestyles, some of which are profoundly anti-green and yet hardly dismissible without a serious breach of the liberal commitment to tolerance towards different conceptions of the good life (see Calder and McKinnon 2012). Lastly, the motivational question: to what extent can a normative proposal expect a solid commitment from common people? (see McKinnon 2022, 2012). How is it reasonable to believe that it will persuade and mobilize contemporary societies to support the transition and its costs? -/- Although climate change is indisputably a global phenomenon that demands coordinated international action to avert irreversible tipping points (see Gardiner 2013, Armstrong 2012), scholars lately tend to overlook the challenges that arise within domestic political orders. [3] In this Special Section, we aim to remedy, albeit insufficiently, the situation. All contributions examine domestic challenges in the global context, but focus on liberal democracies, leaving aside the distinct normative and institutional questions raised by non-democratic regimes, such as autocratic ones, as well as the relations between the two kinds of regimes when it comes to coordinating a global response to the phenomenon. -/- Another feature that all contributions share is an attention to combine moral reasoning and practical considerations: how might the Green Transition be rendered simultaneously morally justifiable and politically viable, and which conceptual resources political philosophy must mobilize to address a crisis whose practical and normative demands exceed the traditional remit of ideal theory? There is an undeniable tension between realism (broadly understood) and fairness in contemporary discussions. In addressing this tension, this Special Section mobilizes the familiar notion of “realistic utopia” (Rawls 2001). The guiding conviction shared by all contributors is that a proposal that aims to capture the normative dimension of the Green Transition must clarify what counts as both feasible and appropriately ambitious within present political circumstances. Absent such clarification, the project risks collapsing into what Moellendorf (2022) has described as an “unrealistically utopian” vision. [4] -/- This Special Section brings together four contributions, including a final general reply, that examine this tension from distinct yet mutually reinforcing perspectives. Although the contributions engage with debates situated within the descriptive sense of the Green Transition, their primary focus lies on its normative dimension—that is, on the competing visions of how a green society should be conceived and collectively shaped to respect justice demands. -/- The opening paper, Luigi Caranti’s “Betting on the Right Horse: The Failure of Politics and the Residual Hope in New Green Technology” (2025), confronts the persistent failure of politics to deliver emissions reductions at the necessary scale and speed. Caranti argues that while climate orthodoxy endorses a tripartite recipe—individual lifestyle change, ambitious public policy, and technological innovation—this combination, when taken as a balanced strategy, risks obscuring the profound asymmetry in the actual performance of these pathways. Technological progress has delivered substantial decarbonization gains, whereas political systems have proven structurally resistant to action, hindered by short electoral cycles, lobbying power, populist backlash, and lack of international coordination. Under these conditions, Caranti defends an “instrumental techno-fix approach”: not a naive faith in technological salvation, but a form of strategic realism that identifies advanced green technologies as our most plausible remaining lever. Technologies such as carbon capture, nuclear innovation, and negative-emissions research, he argues, should be understood as a pragmatic anchor of climate hope when politics falters. His contribution thus situates the Green Transition firmly within the domain of technological feasibility and geopolitical constraints, urging political philosophers to recalibrate expectations about what forms of agency remain realistic in a rapidly closing temporal window. -/- If Caranti emphasizes the constraints of political reality, the second contribution—Nunzio Alì’s “Emission Reductions Without Addressing Economic Inequality? Proportional Justice as a Path to a Fair Green Transition” (2025)—shifts attention to a different obstacle: the deep entanglement between decarbonization and socioeconomic inequality within developed liberal democracies. Building on empirical evidence showing that the wealthiest 1% and 0.1% are disproportionately responsible for emissions, Alì argues that a transition focused solely on meeting subsistence needs or protecting the global poor fails to address the distributive tensions emerging within liberal democracies. Policies such as carbon taxes or rapid industrial restructuring risk provoking backlash when perceived to exacerbate inequality, as recent protests across Europe have shown. For this reason, Alì suggests that what he calls “principle of proportionality”, which requires containing economic inequality within well-defined limits, might be able to guide the distributive conflicts during the Green Transition in liberal democracies. Unlike isolationist accounts of emission limitarianism, his non-monistic integrationist framework embeds climate justice within a broader distributive agenda: tackling plutocratic tendencies, ensuring democratic legitimacy, and mobilizing public support for ambitious climate action. On Alì’s view, a fair transition is not merely compatible with reducing inequality—it depends on it. -/- The Special Section then turns to the legitimacy dimension of the transition. Diana Piroli’s “Climate Justice in a Conflictual Public Sphere: The Challenge of Mobilizing Climate Counterpublics in Liberal Democracies” (2025) criticizes the still-prevalent assumption in some normative climate frameworks that political legitimacy can be secured only through the exercise of public reason by formal political actors and/or through an idealized conception of citizens’ deliberation in the public sphere. Drawing on post-Habermasian theory and recent climate-related protests—such as the French gilets jaunes or the “No Farmers, No Food, No Future” mobilizations—Piroli argues that contemporary climate politics unfold within a plural and conflictual public sphere, rather than a consensual deliberative arena. She contends that these mass movements should not be dismissed as merely denialistic or irrational forms of resistance to the Green Transition; rather, they express a complex landscape of anxieties concerning how political institutions may interfere with individuals’ exercise of liberties. Piroli therefore introduces the notion of “climate counterpublics” to capture the alternative arenas of contestation in which claims about the just transition are articulated by voices that are not part of the hegemonic narrative of the public sphere. By advancing a more conflictual view of the struggle over justice narratives, she also highlights how ordinary citizens who express dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the Green Transition have become increasingly susceptible to far-right co-optation. Her central claim is that ambitious climate policies must be not only morally justified but also democratically endorsed by those affected—through communicative processes that treat dissent and contestation as serious concerns deserving careful consideration, rather than complacent or dismissive attitudes. -/- The closing contribution, Darrel Moellendorf’s “Mobilizing Hope for Climate Justice, Activism, and Technology Development,” responds to the three previous contributions by offering a critique and a constructive synthesis. Engaging directly with the preceding papers, Moellendorf reaffirms the importance of “hope” as a powerful political resource for a fair yet realistic transition. He agrees with Caranti that technological development is urgent and indispensable. Still, he emphasizes that such progress must be pursued alongside a renewed commitment to UNFCCC norms of international cooperation—particularly Article 3, paragraph 4, which stipulates the fair terms for jointly pursuing emissions mitigation while simultaneously upholding the right to promote sustainable development. -/- Responding to Nunzio Alì’s paper, and although sympathetic to his defense of proportional justice, Moellendorf argues that Alì’s account still relies on a complex theory of justice by selecting an independent (and external) distributive principle. In contrast, Moellendorf stresses that his own anti-poverty principle, despite its normative character, should not be understood as a principle of distributive justice. He highlights two points: first, methodologically, his principle is internal to the core norms of the UNFCCC’s founding document on international climate cooperation; second, substantively, it is designed to evaluate and identify dangerous climate change from a normative standpoint, not to prescribe a fair distribution of resources among agents, as Alì does. By adopting this approach, Moellendorf argues that political institutions can provide reasons of justice that are internal to existing international commitments and thus more likely to generate a realistic agreement than proposals grounded in complex philosophical theories of justice. -/- Moving further, in responding to Diana Piroli’s paper, Moellendorf argues that mass movements are strategically essential for climate action because they can generate counter-power against the fossil fuel industry. In particular, he identifies the Green New Deal as the most promising vehicle for such mobilization, since it offers tangible benefits—like renewable energy, economic growth, technological innovation, union jobs, and improved welfare—that can attract broad public support. He returns to his notion of “hope-makers”, emphasizing that mass movements are vital not only for achieving climate goals but also for creating a positive contagion of participation among other agents. Yet, with Piroli, he also acknowledges that the same dynamic can fuel opposition, especially when fossil fuel interests and far-right actors amplify skepticism. Because decarbonization faces powerful and entrenched resistance, Moellendorf concludes that mobilizing hope through ambitious, broadly beneficial policies such as the Green New Deal is crucial to overcoming the obstacles to a just and rapid energy transition. In this sense, he stresses that “hope” should not be confused with mere optimism; rather, it is a realistic strategic posture grounded in the possibility of coordinated technological innovation, democratic mobilization, and institutional reform. -/- Taken together, the four papers reveal a rich theoretical landscape in which realism and fairness are not competing paradigms but interdependent pillars of successful climate governance. Realism, as Caranti and Moellendorf show, is necessary to appreciate the constraints of political inertia, global power relations, and technological timelines. Fairness, as Alì and Piroli argue, is indispensable for securing a just justification and democratic legitimacy, motivating public cooperation, and resisting the plutocratic tendencies that threaten both justice and effectiveness. -/- The Special Section therefore advances a unified yet plural message: the Green Transition must be technologically bold, distributively just, and democratically legitimate. None of these dimensions can succeed in isolation. Only by integrating them can we hope to navigate the tensions between what justice demands and what political reality permits—tensions that define the normative horizon of climate philosophy today. (shrink)

Against the backdrop of the sustainable transformation of the economy and society, more and more professional property owners such as the public sector, hospitals, universities, housing companies and manufacturing companies, for whom their properties represent a production and therefore a cost factor, are recognising the benefits of strategic real estate portfolio management. The Stratus method uses a small amount of building data to assess the condition of individual components of a property and determine its current-state value estimates. The sustainability performance (...) is also determined. The information from all the buildings is then aggregated. This allows real estate portfolios of any size and structure to be managed strategically. The proprietary method of the Swiss engineering, planning and consulting company Basler & Hofmann AG was developed 37 years ago with the Canton of Zurich. Today, it is available as a software solution that can propose specific measures for refurbishment and maintenance within a real estate portfolio based on the structural characteristics, current condition and projected investment requirements as well as current and future use. When used correctly, Stratus is a key to extending the life cycle of large building portfolios to achieve optimal costs and utilisation. This enables real estate owners to develop their real estate portfolios economically and sustainably. The embodied emissions saved by avoiding premature or inappropriate refurbishment measures or even demolition represent an effective contribution to the urgently needed reduction of greenhouse gases in the construction and real estate industries. (shrink)

Policy‐makers, doctors, organizations, and academics who are persuaded that health care decarbonization is an ethical mandate are grappling with ethical and effective implementation of measures to support this goal. Health care carbon‐mitigation strategies (both proposed and potential) at individual, regional (city, state, or council), national, and international levels have already been analyzed to different degrees; however, a comparative analysis of strategies at each of these levels that takes into account bioethical issues such as autonomy, responsibility, and shared decision‐making has not (...) previously been conducted (though some analysis between national and international efforts has occurred). This essay offers a comparative analysis of the ethical aspects of health care carbon reduction across these levels, including considerations of responsibility and of the potential for efforts at each level to actually impact climate change. (shrink)

In standard Wheeler-Feynman electrodynamics advanced waves from any source are absolutely canceled by the advanced waves from the absorber responding to that source. The present work shows this cancellation fails over cosmic distances in a steady-state universe. A test of the view proposed earlier, in a paper which assumed failure of cancellation and hoc, that zero-point fluctuations of the electromagnetic field are such emergent advanced waves, is posed. The view entails anomalous slowing of spontaneous transition rates at longer emission (...) wavelengths; available data go against this, furnishing additional argument against the suspect assumption that the universe is steady-state. (shrink)

This paper examines the challenging issues faced by India in reaching its low carbon economy by 2070, within the context of addressing climate change. With the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy, this study analyses the obstacles and potential solutions for India to navigate this critical transformation. The escalating impacts of climate change underscore the urgent necessity for global economies to pursue deep decarbonization pathways. India, as the world’s third-largest emitter of (...) greenhouse gases, has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. Realizing this goal requires confronting a complex set of challenges across technological, economic, social, and political domains. This study assesses India’s present emissions profile, looks at the barriers to the country’s economic transition to a low-emission one, and pinpoints areas for innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth. The study explores sectoral contributions to India’s carbon footprint, with emphasis on energy, transportation, industry, agriculture, and waste. The analysis highlights the strengths and shortcomings of the existing policy and regulatory framework, including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and subsequent initiatives. In addition, it underscores the socio-economic dimensions of decarbonization, stressing the need for a just and equitable transition that safeguards livelihoods, creates green jobs, and minimizes economic disparities. Co-benefits such as improved air quality, enhanced energy security, and synergies with developmental goals—including poverty alleviation and public health—are also emphasized. Beyond macro-level policy and sectoral strategies, the paper incorporates a micro-level case study of Karma Lakelands, an eco-luxury golf and residential resort in India. The study undertakes greenhouse gas inventory accounting of energy use, forestry, and waste, and documents a series of sustainability initiatives aimed at transforming the resort into a net-zero destination by 2030. Interventions include renewable energy integration, biodiversity conservation, efficient water management, and circular waste practices. The case exemplifies how localized, community-driven sustainability actions can align with and reinforce national decarbonization efforts. The findings demonstrate that India’s net-zero transition will demand comprehensive policy frameworks, accelerated technological innovation, active stakeholder engagement, and sustained capacity building. By linking national strategies with localized action models such as Karma Lakelands, the paper illustrates a multi-scalar approach to achieving carbon neutrality. This integration of macro and micro perspectives offers pathways to not only meet India’s climate commitments but also to contribute meaningfully to global sustainability efforts. (shrink)

Taxonomies have become a key tool for implementing government climate policies by classifying activities based on their role in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. According to Climate Bond, by 2023, more than 40 countries and regions have a taxonomy or are in the process of developing one. Globally, most green taxonomies exclude fossil fuel activities, while mixed taxonomies, which include transitional components, allow limited fossil gas power generation with strict emission and time constraints. Thailand’s Taxonomy, the first science-based (...) transitional taxonomy, was adopted in May 2023 and uses a traffic light system to classify activities based on their alignment with the Paris Agreement. While fossil gas is temporarily used to support renewable energy in countries like the US, China, and Germany, they aim for a medium-term reduction in hydrocarbon consumption. Recent studies highlight significant fugitive emissions from fossil gas, prompting stricter policies and lifecycle emissions assessments. This chapter focuses on sustainable finance investments in different regions of the world. North America primarily the United States and Canada are prominent players in the sustainable finance market. Europe is a leader in responsible investing. (shrink)

Deutsche Telekom sees Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) as a strategic management principle for sustainable business in the digital age. CDR is integrated into the group’s corporate strategy and includes key areas of action such as sustainability, digital ethics, data protection and cybersecurity, dialogue, and the promotion of democratic values. The most important measures include the expansion of accessible network infrastructures, the development of sustainable products and services, the implementation of our self-binding ethical and green AI guidelines, and initiatives to strengthen (...) media literacy and social cohesion. The impact of CDR measures is systematically recorded through certified impact measurement processes and ESG key figures. In 2024, 34 million people benefited from digital inclusion measures, and more than 40% of sales were generated by sustainable products. Challenges lie in coping with disruptive technologies and ensuring data sovereignty. Deutsche Telekom is pursuing the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 and further expanding its pioneering role as a sustainable, digital company. (shrink)

The main goal of this article consists in addressing two fundamental issues of consciousness research and cognitive science, namely, the question of why declarative memory functions are inextricably linked with phenomenal awareness and the question of the physical basis of memory traces. The presented approach proposes that high-level cognitive processes involving consciousness employ a universal mechanism by means of which they access and modulate an omnipresent background field that is identified with the zero-point field (ZPF) specified by stochastic electrodynamics, (...) a branch of physics that deals with the universal principles underlying quantum systems. In addition to its known physical properties and memory capacities, the ZPF is hypothesized to be an immanently sentient medium. It is propounded that linking up to a particular field mode of the ZPF activates a particular phenomenal nuance, implying that the phase-locked coupling of a set of field modes, i.e., the formation of a so-called ZPF information state, constitutes an appropriate mechanism for the amalgamation of elementary shades of consciousness into a complex state of consciousness. Since quantum systems rest exactly on this mechanism, conscious memory processes in the brain are expected to differ from unconscious processes by the presence of the typical features of many-body quantum systems, particularly long-range coherence and attractor formation, which is supported by a huge body of empirical evidence. On this basis, the conceptual framework set out in this article paves the way for a new understanding of the brain as a write-read head interacting with the ZPF, leading to self-consistent interpretations of the neural correlates of memory formation and memory retrieval and explaining why these memory processes are closely intertwined with phenomenal awareness. In particular, the neural correlates suggest that the brain produces consciously perceived memory traces by writing sequences of information states into the ZPF and retrieves consciously experienced memory traces by reading sequences of information states from the ZPF. Using these theoretical foundations, altered states of consciousness and memory disorders can be traced back to impairments of the ZPF write-read mechanism. The mechanism should reveal itself through characteristic photon emissions, resulting in testable predictions. (shrink)

International aviation is consuming an increasing portion of the global carbon budget; already it consumes a disproportionate share, especially on a per capita basis, since most human beings do not participate in the international air transport regime. Does this state of a airs necessarily o end climate justice? Could humanity even hypothetically choose to put all its emissions eggs in the international air transport basket? If so, what principles and institutions would support such a decision? If not, how can (...) we make decisions about the sectoral distribution of the global carbon budget in a principled way? In this chapter I review some theoretical perspectives on climate justice and apply them to these questions. I nd that these perspectives concur in their condemnation of the status quo, but that they provide little gui- dance for moving towards climate justice. I propose an alternative perspective that recognizes the reality that decisions with implications about climate justice are being made at the sectoral level; a sectoral perspective on climate justice suggests a dynamic and adaptive perspective that would allow groups of human beings to make defensible decisions about their emissions behaviour. (shrink)

To reduce CO2 emissions requires greater reliance on renewable sources of energy for generating electricity, especially adoption of large-scale wind generation. This study investigates possible approaches and/or policies that increase efficient use of renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a cost effective manner. We develop a constrained optimization model of two electricity systems to identify the impact of increasing wind generating capacity and examine how carbon prices (taxes, allowances) impact the penetration of wind power into the (...) electricity grids. Rather than employ engineering cost functions, marginal cost functions are estimated using hourly offer data from the Alberta Electric System Operator. We determine optimal removal of coal generating facilities as greater levels of wind capacity are installed in an integrated Alberta-BC electricity system; and examine the economic costs and institutional incentives that affect the ability to store intermittent wind-generated power in BC’s hydro reservoirs during low demand. The marginal shadow price of storage is zero, whichindicates that there is more than enough water behind the dams given Alberta’s relatively small demand for storage and limited intertie transmission capacity. (shrink)

To understand how justice and ethics apply to climate change, this chapter considers the major alternative: self-interest. It argues that it is in our self-interest to end our fossil fuel infrastructure and reduce emissions to zero or near zero in the not-too-distant future. Emissions reductions must be global and must begin soon. Uncertainty about the likely effects of climate change impacts strengthens rather than weakens the need for emissions reductions because this uncertainty is not symmetric (...) and the risks of inaction are far greater than the negative consequences of action. Though these conclusions may sound stark, they are actually based on conservative assumptions. Past emissions have used up most of the flexibility that we might once have had. Therefore, following our self-interest will not lead to terrible outcomes, but rather to the requirement of drastic emissions reductions and an energy transition as soon as possible. (shrink)