The rights-based approach and carbon taxes in Australia - Assignment Example

?The Rights-Based Approach and Carbon Taxes in Australia Introduction This essay seeks to interrogate the carbon tax policy and the clean air revolution using the rights-based approach (social contract) as lens of analysis. We begin with a brief explanation of the rights-based approach (hereon, RBA). The concept finds its roots in the United Nations, and is predicated on the theory that “human rights determine the relationship between individuals and groups with valid claims (rightsholders) and State and non-state actors with correlative obligations (duty-bearers).” (UNICEF, 2004: 92). Its adoption by the United Nations as the framework by which its pursues its interventions is significant, in that it heralds a shift from a needs-based approach, i.e., looking at what people need, to looking at what people have an absolute inalienable right to, by virtue of being human. (Alston, 2003: 7). A rights-based approach imposes a duty on the State to uphold this right as a function of the social contract, whereas a “need-based” approach may not necessarily so. Central therefore to the RBA is the re-emergence of the state and governance as a central element in development (Baxi, 2005: 2), through a focus on the interrelation between the state and its citizens in terms of duties and rights. (Boesen and Martin, 2007: 9). We now proceed to looking at the carbon tax issue, a controversial issue that has been the subject of much controversy and debate in Australia. The carbon tax is basically a levy that the government intends to impose on corporations that release carbon into the atmosphere. According to Nielson (2010: 7), “in theory, environmentally related taxes should be set at a level equal to the external environmental cost of a particular product or activity.” Essentially, this means that the cost to the environment is computed into the cost of manufacturing a commodity so as to create disincentives for “dirty companies” using environmentally-unsustainable technologies, and conversely, to create incentives for companies that perform ecologically-sustainable practices. Discussion: The Carbon Tax Issue Using RBA as Lens of Analysis There is little doubt that using the RBA as a lens of analysis, or as a framework by which a concept is assessed, the carbon tax issue heralds a development in the positive direction. The RBA presupposes a social contract between the rights claim-holders and the state that has a duty to uphold these rights. Amartya Sen (1999) is a key thinker in this philosophy of “entitlements” – human beings have inalienable rights to demand from the state all that he or she needs to be enhance his or her capabilities. In a sense, the RBA places a special bias on the poor and the marginalized, upon the recognition that it is them whose rights are the most vulnerable. To quote, “The underlying structural, social and political drivers of poverty, vulnerability and inequality have to be addressed in the context of a broad development strategy, in which social protection plays an important part. (van Ginneken, 2011: 3). What does this have to do with carbon taxes? The obligation of the state in this case is the obligation to maintain and promote a clean and healthy environment for its constituents. Study after study have demonstrated that climate change will affect the poor and the ordinary wage-earners the most (see for example, McGuigan, et. al., 2002) and hence, the state has a duty to protect them and ensure the sustainability of the environment and the availability of natural resources for generations to come. The rate of pollution being emitted in the atmosphere has debilitating effects on water sanitation, agriculture, etc. When resources are scarce, the prices of the resources or the commodities made from these resources jack up – and these fluctuations in prices affect the most vulnerable in society. Hence, there is no denying that ordinary people are compromised the most by climate change – ordinary people who have inalienable rights to live healthily and raise their children in a clean sustainable environment, with a balanced ecology. Therefore, pursuant to the RBA, the government of Australia is simply fulfilling its part of the social contract in levying taxes on the biggest polluters. Where does IT come in? Information technology comes in by capitalizing on the requirement for green technology that carbon tax will necessarily generate and helping provide the know-how, expertise and research to contribute to the green revolution. An often ignored fact is discussed by Sainsbury, who wrote that “A global report released last year, Smart 2020, claimed emissions could be reduced by as much as 15 per cent by the rapid adoption of smart technology, meaning that IT could be directly responsible for alleviating much of the concern around a carbon tax. (2011)”. This is an opportunity that the ICT industry can seize. In fact, the industry can see it as an opportunity towards a better future, given by the Australian government, albeit indirectly. In fact, the climate change adviser of the Australian government had recently advised that “the government should invest 10% of carbon tax revenues to develop low emission technologies” as stated by Anthony Wong, President of the Australian Computer Society (2011). Wong proceeds to say: For ICT companies with an interest in sustainability, there could be funds available to support development efforts that are backed by a solid business case. And since some of the money raised through the carbon tax will go back to businesses and the community in the form of grants, rebates and credits to help them implement greener technologies such as solar power, there will also be a potential market for renewable energy solutions. There are many ways to make IT operations more friendly. As Wong had already started to explain, a possibility is by exploring sources of renewable energy, such as solar energy or wind energy. Another possibility is to come up with devices that do not consume so much energy. Yet another possibility is the use – as much as possible – of biodegradable raw materials that do not add to the already unmanageable problem, not only of Australia but of the world. We should also spearhead recycling. Instead of throwing IT equipment into the dumpster, we can look for innovative ways to reuse them. The ICT industry should be at the forefront of innovation – we must tap into our deep reserves of human ingenuity and contribute as much as we can to protecting the world for future generations. In the end, our rights as human beings will be compromised if we do not take part in the efforts towards a green revolution. Technology vendors should work together with manufacturers in order to ensure that the entire commodity chain is made environmentally-friendly. The ACS Code of Ethics Two particular principles in the ACS Code of Ethics are involved in this issue: the first one, dealing with the primacy of public interest, and the second one, dealing with the enhancement of the quality of life of those affected by our work. Indeed, we must put public interest before profit or gain, and in this case the public interest, is the rights of the public to a sustainable, healthy and balanced ecology. Similarly, we must always strive to enhance the way of life of those affected by our work – in this case, Australians at large, and even the rest of the world who have access to our products. Way of life includes health, access to clean resources, unpolluted surroundings. While not all Australian It companies are active in the green revolution, we must endeavor to convince as much as we can to take part. ICT will shape the green market by producing innovative technology that can be harnessed and replicated, and at the same time will be sustainable and only use clean resources. Reflections My personal resolution is to take part in the emerging conservations on the green revolution and to talk about carbon tax so people can form a judgment about it without getting caught up in the emotive arguments. There is much to be learned and much to be discussed. Profits must not be the only motivation and driving force of our work – it must be the desire to contribute to the attainment of rights of others. Therefore, I intend to consciously focus my work on developing green technologies that will make a contribution to our world in crisis and to my fellow human beings whose rights are being compromised. References Alston, Philip. 2003. A human rights perspective on the Millennium Development Goals. Paper prepared as a contribution to the work of the Millennium Project Task Force on Poverty and Economic Development. (New York, New York University Law School, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice). Australian Computer Society. “Code of Ethics”. Available at http://www.acs.org.au/attachments/Code_of_Ethics.pdf Baxi, Upendra. 2005. The future of human rights (Lucknow, Eastern Book Company; 2d edition). Boesen, J.K. and Martin, T. (2007). “Applying a Rights-Based Approach: An Inspirational Guide for Civil Society”. Copenhagen: Danish Institute for Human Rights. Ginneken, W. (2011). “Social Protection and the Millenium Development Goals: Towards a Human Rights Based Approach.” International Conference on Social Protection and Social Justice. Center for Social Protection. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies. Nielson, L. (2010). “Emissions Control: Your Policy Choices”. Background Note. Parliament of Australia, Department of Parliamentary Services. Sainsbury, M. (2011). “Controversial carbon tax creating renewed interest in Green ICT.” ARN. Available at http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/378099/controversial_carbon_tax_creating_renewed_interest_green_ict_aiia/ Sen, Amartya. 1999. Development as freedom. (Oxford, Oxford University Press). UNICEF. (2004) “The Human Rights Based Approach” in State of the World’s Children 2004. New York: UN. Wong, Anthony. (2011). “Carbon Tax could spur industry to develop green technologies.” The Australian. Available at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/it-business/carbon-tax-could-spur-industry-to-develop-green-technologies/story-e6frganx-1226032953798 Read More