Developing and Testing the Equity Offset Concept Social and Environmental Justice Perspectives from and for Global Feminisms Global Feminisms Collaborative Developing and Testing the Equity Offset Concept April 24, 2008 Brooke A. Ackerly Associate Professor of Political Science Michael P. Vandenbergh Professor of Law and Co-Director, Regulatory Program Vanderbilt University Law School

The Climate-Justice Problem The justice questions are seemingly intractable. - Disparate impact of climate harms Disparate impact of higher energy costs The governance challenges are seemingly intractable. - Difficult to assign responsibility Difficult to reduce emissions Difficult to overcome political opposition

Recent Articles Climate Change Justice: The Challenge for Global Governance, 17 Geo. Intl Envtl. L.J. (2008)(Brooke Ackerly & Michael Vandenbergh) Climate Change: The Equity Problem, 26 Va. Envtl. L. J. (2007)(Michael Vandenbergh & Brooke Ackerly) The Carbon-Neutral Individual, 82 NYU L. Rev. (2007)(Michael Vandenbergh & Anne Steinemann)

Thesis Even without moral agreement Even without political agreement We can develop institutions that are justice-enhancing and address the climate crisis Scholarship and activism can be mutually supportive in this effort

Climate Change Assumptions Goal: Reduce Risk of Catastrophic Climate Change Short-term Target: Level Off Long-term Target: 60%-80% Business-as-Usual: Doubling All Major Sources and Countries

Individual Emissions: Average and Aggregate Impacts (Vandenbergh & Steinemann, 2007) U.S. Individual Behavior - 14,779 pounds/year = 32% of US total - 4.1 trillion (individual) > 3.9 trillion (industry) - US generated 24.4% of world total in 2000 - US individual share is ~ 8% of world total Larger than Central Am., South Am., and Africa combined - 2/3 the total for China

Individual Emissions: Specific Behavior Types Estimated Percentage of Total Household Energy Consumed (1990) (Gardner & Stern, 1996, tbl.10-5) End Use Percentage Transportation 40 In Home Use Space Heat 23 Motors and Appliances 14 Water Heat 11 Lighting 6 Cooling 6

The Justice or Equity Problem Income Disparity - 12.6% Living in Poverty in US - Many Others with Limited Resources Global Disparities Substantial Energy Price Increases from Cap-and-Trade Implications - Political Viability Efficacy Distributive Justice

A Proposal, Part I Equity Offsets: Complementary Tool Private Measures Identify Efficiencies Calculate Emissions Reductions (tpy) Verify Bundle and Sell Role of Intermediaries

A Proposal, Part II Public Measures The Subsidy Problem Integrate into Domestic Cap-and-Trade? Integrate into Global Cap-and-Trade? Other Domestic or Global Options?

A Proposal, Part III Challenges: Transaction Costs Identifying Opportunities Verifying Additionality of Offsets Managing Funds Marketing Offsets Challenges: Efficacy Size of Reductions Size of Market for Offsets

Conclusion Pilot Project: Scholarship & Activism - Evaluate Equity Offset Concept - Explore Public and Private Applications - Explore Global and National Applications