EMISSION ALLOWANCES, ETHICAL ASPECTS, AND IMPACTS ON PUBLIC HEALTH – A REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.5905Keywords:
Emissions Allowances, Environment, Ethical Aspects, Public Health, Harm Prevention, Environmental Law, Distributive JusticeAbstract
Air pollution represents one of the most significant environmental determinants of public health in modern industrial societies. High concentrations of pollutants generated by the combustion of fossil fuels have long been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the population. The European Union’s primary and common tool for environmental protection is the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). However, its implementation and application raise serious ethical dilemmas regarding the interrelationships between human responsibility for the environment, well-being, and the health of the population. The authors of this article have reflected on these dilemmas and set a research objective: to examine the current state of affairs and identify the best possible solutions. After conducting research and a qualitative analysis of expert sources relevant to the topic, the authors reflect on the connections between emissions allowances, the health of the population, and the need for fair distribution and protection of the economically vulnerable segment of the EU population. The qualitative analysis conducted demonstrates a direct link between the introduction of emission allowances and improvements in public health, alongside the need to provide financial subsidies to economically vulnerable segments of the population, with the aim of eliminating adverse health consequences associated with poverty and threats to well-being. The ethical debate on emissions trading systems can be simply interpreted as a tension between two fundamental normative principles of public policy: the principle of harm prevention and the principle of distributive justice.
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