Social justice and environmental policy

Abstract

Are the distributional effects of environmental measures just? Answers this question, to do which we normally use the segregation argument: poor people live in highly polluted areas, therefore environmental measures which reduce the pollution must be socially just. Argues that the environment is neither a public good nor a local public good, as is often assumed. The crucial point for distribution analysis is the reaction of the markets and by no means the geographical segregation of income classes. Environmental prices skim off the benefit of environmental measures and can lead to an unjust redistribution.

Citation

Spillmann, A. (1995), "Social justice and environmental policy", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 3-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068299510079812