Climate justice
Climate justice is a movement that recognizes that climate change is unequally affecting people in the Global South, Indigenous Peoples and the most marginalized communities in the Global North. These unequal impacts are the result of our governing systems; systems that exploit land and bodies, which are capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy, extractivism, racism etc. These are systems of oppression that interact, feed and build upon each other, and thus perpetuate each other. Climate justice puts forward the need to understand the climate crisis as an intersectional issue where the structures that cause and sustain it must be addressed simultaneously.
Because those who have contributed the least to climate change are the most affected, the climate justice movement calls for centring those who are most marginalized. This means following their leadership, centring their realities, concerns and demands. It requires the liberation and emancipation of all from systems of oppression. These systems are the source of ongoing ecocide. They produce and perpetuate structural social inequalities that are amplified in the face of the climate crisis. The climate crisis is more than an environmental crisis. It amplifies existing crises and creates new ones. - The HUB [1]
"Climate change is not just a physical problem that can be addressed with simple technological solutions, like electric cars. It is not enough to stop emitting CO2. Rather, environmental destruction is a symptom of a system that is based on social injustices." - The David Suzuki Foundation [2]
Examples of social justice being intertwined with climate justice are demonstrated below.
Examples of climate justice
Disability justice |
See our definitions page for disability justice for more, including examples to help understand why disability justice is climate justice. |
Food justice |
|
Migrant justice |
See our definitions page for migrant justice for more, for examples to help understand why migrant justice is climate justice. |
Indigenous sovereignty |
See our definitions page for more on Indigenous sovereignty. |
Abolition | See our definitions page for more on Abolition. |
Queer justice | See our page on LGBTQIAS+ issues and climate justice. |
If you have any suggested revisions or additional resources to share related to the above content, please email them to kenzie@lehub.ca.