What is Climate Justice?

Climate Justice

Climate change, encompassing phenomena like global warming, urban heat islands, rising sea levels, and acid rain, constitutes a pressing contemporary crisis worldwide, leading to widespread disruptions in people's daily lives. Particularly, the wealthiest nations stand at the forefront of carbon emissions due to rapid technological advancement and industrialization. Consequently, the impacts of climate change extend beyond these countries, affecting the entire globe. Developing nations, hindered by economic crises and socio-political challenges, face significant obstacles in mitigating these effects.

Thus, the concept of climate justice within environmentalism has emerged to address extreme weather events and promote eco-friendly environmental reconstruction. According to the Mary Robinson Foundation, climate justice integrates development and human rights to adopt a human-centered approach to combatting climate change, safeguarding the rights of vulnerable populations, and equitably sharing the burdens and benefits of climate change impacts. Consequently, every individual deserves to live in a peaceful and environmentally sustainable world. In this context, both developed and developing countries must commit to common climate strategies and actions to restore the planet. Climate justice entails inclusive decision-making processes and the implementation of various programs, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Environment-based Adaptation (EbA), which have been globally adopted with diverse support. These initiatives include implementing carbon taxes, constructing smart cities with green infrastructure, promoting renewable energy sources, and engaging in reforestation efforts. Consequently, climate adaptation actions yield positive impacts, reducing disasters and promoting equity worldwide.

Furthermore, the UC Center for Climate Justice at the University of California has identified six pillars of climate justice:

  • ‌Just Transition: Transitioning to renewable energy and sustainable land use alongside socio-economic and political transformations.
  • Social, Racial, and Environmental Justice: Addressing climate change impacts to promote social, racial, and environmental equity.
  • Climate Education and Engagement: Increasing climate adaptation activities and dispelling misconceptions through education.
  • Natural Climate Solutions: Utilizing forest and agriculture-based solutions, such as reforestation and climate-smart agriculture, to achieve climate equality.
  • Community Resilience and Adaptation: Empowering marginalized communities with knowledge on disaster resilience and climate change adaptation.
  • Indigenous Climate Action: Incorporating traditional knowledge to preserve environmental health.

These pillars play a crucial role in establishing climate justice, with their effectiveness dependent on state alignment. Assessing climate justice is essential, akin to ensuring human security, and leads to increased disaster resilience and eco-friendly behavioral patterns.

Reference:

Arcaya, M. and Gribkoff, E. (2022). Climate Justice. [online] MIT Climate Portal. Available at: https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/climate-justice (Accessed 02 February 2024).

 

‌UC Center for Climate Justice. (2023). What is Climate Justice? [online] Available at: https://centerclimatejustice.universityofcalifornia.edu/what-is-climate-justice/. (Accessed 02 February 2024).

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Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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