Collective inaction, omission, and non-action: when not acting is indeed on ‘us’

Abstract The statement that we are currently failing to address some of humanity’s greatest challenges seems uncontroversial—we not doing enough limit global warming a maximum 2 °C and exposing vulnerable people preventable diseases when produce herd immunity. But what singles out such failings (inactions) from all the things did do (non-actions) unintended? Unlike their individualist counterparts, collective inaction omission have yet received much attention in literature. (Unintended) inaction, I argue, can be attributed group agents where action (or outcome) x perform produce) was collectively feasible at time t each agent had sufficient reason contribute performing producing) or others reasonable expectation they would . show that, perhaps surprisingly, speak even only one member fails act. However, large dispersed groups concerned, there is often no meaningful way attributing failings. Still, contend failure close emissions gap and—in cases—to generate immunity indeed on us