Abstract

The increased climate change heightens the risks towards both ecosystems and human health. To tackle the rising risks, both mitigation and adaptation efforts are a necessity. The need for climate efforts raises the question of who ought to bear the financial responsibility to pay. Within the debate of climate justice three main principles have emerged, this essay focuses on one of them, the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP). The PPP asserts that those responsible for pollution should cover the associated costs. The principle faces a challenge when attributing responsibility for historical emissions. Is there a “polluter” that can be held accountable for these emissions? This essay explores potential ways the PPP can be revised to be able to account for historic emissions. A distinction is made between two interpretations of the PPP, an individualistic and a collectivist version. I argue that neither version is adequate equipped to meet the criteria för a climate justice principle and handle historic emissions.