Climate Liberalism

Climate Liberalism examines the potential and limitations of classical-liberal approaches to pollution control and climate change. Some successful environmental strategies, such as the use of catch-shares for fisheries, instream water rights, and tradable emission permits, draw heavily upon the classical liberal intellectual tradition and its emphasis on property rights and competitive markets. This intellectual tradition has been less helpful, to date, in the development or design of climate change policies.

Climate Liberalism aims to help fill the gap in the academic literature examining the extent to which classical-liberal principles, including an emphasis on property rights, decentralized authority and dynamic markets, can inform the debate over climate-change policies. The contributors in this book approach the topic from a range of perspectives and represent multiple academic disciplines. Chapters consider the role of property rights and common-law legal systems in controlling pollution, the extent to which competitive markets backed by legal rules encourage risk minimization and adaptation, and how to identify the sorts of policy interventions that may help address climate change in ways that are consistent with liberal values.

“Climate Liberalism provides insightful and practical perspectives on how to understand and potentially tackle such a pressing social and ecological problem.” (Jordan K. Lofthouse, Public Choice, Vol. 197, 2023)

“All chapters are heavily referenced. Overall, this book departs from the current US pattern of politically oriented groups operating in conceptual isolation and will be useful as an in-depth reference for classical liberal approaches to environmental law and policy.” (F. T. Manheim, Choice, Vol. 60 (11), 2023)
“Political philosophies that put a lot of weight on freedom and property rights have a hard time grappling with the problem of pollution. How can we reconcile the inviolability of the individual with the ubiquity of negative externalities? The essays in this volume represent the most promising and sophisticated effort yet to come to grips with this problem. Climate Liberalism is essential reading on one of the most theoretically interesting and practically important issues of our time.” (Matt Zwolinski, Professor of Philosophy, University of San Diego, Author of The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism)

“Climate Liberalism captures a valuable and overdue conversation about classical liberal thinking and the seemingly intractable problem of climate change. Much of what is written about domestic and international climate policy boils down to nihilist political considerations, and lacks any theoretical or deontological foundation. This volume is a vital step towards filling that void.” (Shi-Ling Hsu, D’Alemberte Professor, Florida State University College of Law, Author of Capitalism and the Environment)


“Classical liberal scholarship has, to some extent, always been a matter of circling the wagons and defending classical liberalism per se. But classical liberalism also is a way of grappling with real practical problems, using the legal and policy tools we actually have. Classical liberal scholars have a history of working with, rather than ignoring, the most basic of all political facts: namely, people decide for themselves, not only how to pursue their own interests but also how to do what they think is right.
“Climate change is a problem of external cost, well-understood by classical liberals. It is also the same basic political issue that classical liberalism has a history of being well-positioned to address. Yet, the scale of the threat that climate change poses seems unprecedented. So, while we cannot afford to ignore the lessons of history, neither can we afford to deny that ‘it might be different this time.’ Time will tell, but this volume furthers the conversation with one remarkable essay after another. (David Schmidtz, Presidential Chair of Moral Science, West Virginia University)

“This valuable collection of essays examines how classical liberal institutional frameworks rooted in property rights, decentralization, and the rule of law can inform climate policy approaches. Reflecting a range of expertise from law, political economy, and philosophy, these thoughtful essays grapple with the challenges that large-scale environmental questions pose to classical liberalism and analyze how classical liberal institutions can play a constructive role in climate policy. Climate Liberalism is a welcome contribution to ongoing climate and energy policy research and debate.” (L. Lynne Kiesling, Director, Institute for Regulatory Law& Economics, Research Professor, College of Engineering, Design & Computing, University of Colorado, Denver)

Jonathan H. Adler is the inaugural Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law and the founding Director of the Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he teaches courses in environmental, administrative and constitutional law.