Climate justice
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Climate justice is a type of environmental justice that focuses on the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized or otherwise vulnerable populations. Climate justice seeks to achieve an equitable distribution of both the burdens of climate change and the efforts to mitigate climate change. The economic burden of climate change mitigation is estimated by some at around 1% to 2% of GDP. Climate justice examines concepts such as equality, human rights, collective rights, justice and the historical responsibilities for climate change.
Climate justice recognises that those who have benefited most from industrialisation bear a disproportionate responsibility for the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere, and thus for climate change. Meanwhile, there is growing consensus that people in regions that are the least responsible for climate change as well as the world's poorest and most marginalised communities often tend to suffer the greatest consequences. Depending on the country and context, this may include people with low-incomes, indigenous communities or communities of color. They might also be further disadvantaged by responses to climate change which might exacerbate existing inequalities around race, gender, sexuality and disability. When those affected the most by climate change despite having contributed the least to causing it are also negatively affected by responses to climate change, this is known as the 'triple injustice' of climate change.
Conceptions of climate justice can be grouped along the lines of procedural justice and distributive justice. The former stresses fair, transparent and inclusive decision-making. The latter stresses a fair distribution of the costs and outcomes of climate change (substantive rights). There are at least ten different principles that are helpful to distribute climate costs fairly. Climate justice also tries to address the social implications of climate change mitigation. If these are not addressed properly, this could result in profound economic and social tensions. It could even lead to delays in necessary changes.
Climate justice actions can include the growing global body of climate litigation. In 2017, a report of the United Nations Environment Programme identified 894 ongoing legal actions worldwide.
Climate justice and peace
"Indications of changes in the earth's future climate must be treated with the utmost seriousness, and with the precautionary principle uppermost in our minds. Extensive climate changes may alter and threaten the living conditions of much of mankind. They may induce large-scale migration and lead to greater competition for the earth's resources. Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world's most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states."...The Nobel Peace Prize 2007, October 12 2007
Climate justice news 2025
The legal tussle to hold corporate polluters accountable for climate loss and damage, the-wave.net (Mar 05, 2025) - Five ways that illustrations can tell climate justice stories, theconversation.com (Feb 11, 2025)
- South Africa's patchwork climate plans risk widening inequality, Kim Harrisberg, context.news (Jan 24, 2025) — "...placing communities at the heart of these plans through bringing the policies to them in local forums is key", Chantal Naidoo, Rabia Transitions, South African transitions finance research and advisory non-profit
- Saving the surf is a climate solution, Grist (Jan 16, 2025)
- It’s time for Africa to join the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, Boniface Mwangi, africanarguments.org (Jan 14, 2025)
- Oxfam: Super-rich have already burned more than their fair share of carbon for 2025, climatechangenews.com (Jan 10, 2025)
Climate justice news 2023-2024
- Handful of countries responsible for climate crisis, top court told, theguardian.com (Dec 02, 2024)
- COP29: Climate change could kill millions — and world leaders must work to limit fatalities, Joshua M. Pearce, theconversation.com (Nov 26, 2024)
- Carbon emissions of richest 1% increase hunger, poverty and deaths, says Oxfam, theguardian.com (Oct 28, 2024)
- ‘I think, boy, I’m a part of all this’: how local heroes reforested Rio’s green heart, theguardian.com (Oct 10, 2024)
- A ‘green new deal’ is Canada’s best hope of achieving a just carbon-zero transition, theconversation.com (Jul 21, 2024)
- Climate in the courtroom: all sides are using ‘green lawfare’, and it’s good for democracy, theconversation.com (Jul 15, 2024)
- Young Alaskans sue state over fossil fuel project they claim violates their rights, theguardian.com (May 23, 2024)
- First Nations woman one of seven global winners of prestigious Goldman prize for environmental activism, theguardian.com (Apr 29, 2024)
- These Are the Climate Grannies. They’ll Do Whatever It Takes to Protect Their Grandchildren, insideclimatenews.org (Feb 03, 2024)
- Philippine congress files world’s first climate accountability bill, greenpeace.org (Nov 23, 2023)