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Research Group Sustainability and Climate PolicyProf. Dr. Felix Ekardt, LL.M, M.A |
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Research Group Sustainability and Climate PolicyProf. Dr. Felix Ekardt, LL.M, M.A |
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Felix Ekardt will hold six speeches on climate protection and constitutional theory in China, amongst others at the world congress of legal and social philosophers.
Since September, Felix Ekardt's new book `Cool Down: 50 Irrtümer über unsere Klima-Zukunft' is available in bookstores. Summary Cool Down
At the end of August, Felix Ekardt and Michael Kerbler discussed the financial crisis and climate change. The discussion was boradcast by the Austrian Radio Ö 1.
Only a small part of the revenues of world trade comes benefits the people in developing countries. At the same time, the global competition for production costs jeopardises the social systems in developed countries. Equally, we are on the verge of a global race for the lowest, apparently most entrepreneur friendly, environmental standards. It would serve both, North and South, if international social standards were established within the framework of the WTO. According to the standard economic text-books, unlimited trade leads to maximal wealth. Thus regulations would disturb the efficiency of the global economy. Yet this theory ignores some important aspects, for example, it overlooks the unequal distribution of income: Only few profit from the alleged economic efficiency. The overall economic production would even increase, if a part of the money that developing countries earn by exports were used to improve the social security of the working people. This ought to have a positive impact on their motivation and educational opportunities. Moreover, environmental problems and the mental consequences of an unrestricted world-wide competition for longer working times and increased pressure to perform are hardly found in the traditional theory of free trade. This leads to the proposal to secure ecologic and social minimal standards in the legal framework of the WTO. On one hand, such a legal framework would contribute to the quarrel against poverty and to environmental protection, on the other hand, it would protect the western social state and environmental from an international competition. The WTO could – partly following the example of the EU – become a common market with uniform minimal requirements for social and environmental policy. As a model serves the eco-social conception for a new global climate protection.
Downloadable texts: