Toward a Virtue Based Ethic for Nonessential Greenhouse Gas Emissions
equally significant for driving global decarbonization. Thus, the impact of moral luck on the efficacy of a virtue-ethical approach is negligible. Conclusion This paper argues that a virtue-ethical approach grounded in the virtues of justice, compassion, and responsibility is best suited to guide decisions regarding the morality of individual GHG emissions. This is accomplished first through a literature review that identifies challenges in formulating universal principles for individual GHG emissions and the scant consideration that has been given to virtue ethics. Next, the relevance of justice, compassion, and responsibility on the morality of individual GHG emissions is defined. Next, this paper asserts that the balanced nature of virtue ethics, the relational aspect of virtue ethics, and successful applications of the virtue approach demonstrate that it is the most apt tool to govern the morality of individual GHG emissions. Finally, possible objections are considered and addressed. The desired outcome of this paper is that individuals strive to develop virtues of justice, compassion, and responsibility and apply them in the manner described herein to decisions involving GHG emissions. While it is expected that the adoption of this approach will produce different outcomes for different individuals in different contexts, one thing is certain: a global population that is consistently considering how to act in alignment with their profound aversion to producing unnecessary GHG emissions would not only reduce individual emissions but create a sentiment of solidarity and drive systems-level climate action.
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