What is climate justice?

The ways we talk about climate change, have changed fundamentally in recent years. For a long time, global warming was seen primarily as an environmental problem – just imagine images of wildfires, floods and extreme weather, combined with various challenges to "save the planet", "save the rainforests" and "save the polar bears".

But we now recognize that this is also a significant human crisis; the term "environment" cannot be easily separated from human interests, and not only polar bears are at risk, but also ourselves.

With this shift came the realization that solutions to the climate crisis are not just questions of science, but also of politics. Our climate discussions must include more than just data and statistics about rising temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations; they should also touch on topics such as power, access to resources and justice.

Because climate change is both a human and a political issue, it is imperative that its solutions take into account the chaotic and complex world of global politics. The demand for "climate justice" recognizes that, while global warming is a global problem, its effects are not distributed evenly. The worst consequences of the climate crisis – such as extreme heat, floods and food shortages – indirectly affect countries and communities in the Global South in particular.

In addition, this concept recognizes that responsibility for the emergence of the crisis is not fairly shared. The places that suffer the most from the effects of global warming have little or no historical responsibility for causing it. Much of the blame rests with the rich countries of the Global North, which in the past used vast amounts of fossil fuels to fuel their industrial growth.

For example, only one country – the United States of America – accounts for more than a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions so far, while the total volume of emissions for the entire African continent is below 3 %. The UK, although responsible for only 1 % of current emissions, has a huge historical footprint; until 1882 it accounted for more than half of all global carbon dioxide emissions.

However, this uneven picture still does not depict the complete inequality of historical carbon dioxide emissions. Much of the CO2 attributed to low- and middle-income countries is released to meet the demand for consumer goods in rich countries. For example, the WWF has calculated that the UK's 'real' carbon footprint could be as much as double if it took these external emissions into account. This makes the UK's track record in reducing carbon dioxide emissions since 1990 look much less impressive.

This situation did not arise by chance, but is the result of deliberate political decisions by rich countries. With many of today's geopolitical problems, once you start looking for the causes, you end up with European colonialism.

The wealth of the European and North American economies was largely built on the exploitation of natural resources and labor from countries in Africa, South America and Asia, creating the vast economic inequality that defines the world today. Even after formal decolonization, this extractive economy model persists thanks to powerful corporations whose supply chains cross borders and show little respect for local communities or the environment.

This persistent economic divide has a profound impact on countries' resilience to climate change. The countries of the Global South, which find themselves most affected by the crisis caused by the actions of the countries of the Global North, often face a lack of resources to adapt to this crisis as a result of their policies.

When we look at individual countries, the story is basically the same. The richest are responsible for a disproportionate amount of carbon dioxide emissions, while the poorest and most marginalized face the greatest impacts of global warming and have the least means of adapting to change.

The enormous injustice of the climate crisis has important implications for our efforts to agree on international solutions. For example, requiring all countries to decarbonize at the same rate and share the remaining carbon budget equally. To achieve climate justice, rich nations must acknowledge their historical culpability for this crisis and take steps to remedy it—for example, by supporting developing countries to transition to clean energy and adapt to our changing climate.

The governments of these countries must enforce legislation to hold companies based within their borders accountable for the harm they cause to people and the environment abroad. This includes protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and communities who protect forests that play a key role in protecting the natural world and are seriously threatened by its destruction.

And finally, any fair trial involves hearing from those who have been affected. The same applies to climate justice, which must ensure that those most affected by the climate crisis are given a strong voice in climate policy negotiations, which have long been dominated by the interests of wealthy corporations and countries. (Co2AI)