Slow Action as a Moral Wrong: Delay Tactics in the Fight Against Climate Change

In combating climate change, not only inaction but also slow action creates harms. The literature on acts and omissions does not fully unpack the nuances of cases of intentionally delaying actions, yet the consequences can be fatal. Slow climate action deepens harm and directly opposes the objectives of climate agreements. Examples of delay tactics, such as those seen in the history of British abolition of slavery, demonstrate that once harm is acknowledged, actions to end it must be decisive. Regarding delayed climate action, states should be called out and held accountable.