Emphasis on climate justice is now a critical element of most climate change mitigation efforts. It is part of Extinction Rebellion U.S.’s demands, it’s embedded in the Green New Deal, and woven into the United Nation’s approach. On the surface, it is the idea that changes made to address climate change should be implemented in a socially just manner.
More deeply though, as one understands how we have arrived at this climate crisis and what is needed to stop climate change, it becomes clear how the fight for social justice, civil rights, and equality and for the transformation of our energy system are deeply intertwined. We see how environmental degradation and destruction, the impacts of natural disasters made more frequent and intense by climate change, and the recovery efforts after such disasters all affect marginalized, poor, and oppressed communities the worst. If we value humanity and all the life on our planet, the concerns of more vulnerable communities and and those with fewer resources must be integral to how we address climate change. Their voices and participation must be part of the change. If we value the communities of marginalized people in the U.S. and around the world, we cannot dig up their lands, poison their water, and pollute their air.
On this page, we gather information that focuses on climate justice both locally and globally. You can read and hear first person narratives, get an institutional and cultural overview, and find other books and articles.