Walaa Abdelrahman*
Researcher, Environmental Expert, and Climate Change Expert at the Agricultural Research Center, Egypt.
Received: 21 February 2024; Processed: 26 February 2024; Accepted: 07 March 2024
Citation: Abdelrahman W “Climate Justice: Equitable Treatment for Future Generations and a Changing World” J Environ Toxicol Res (2024): 102. DOI: 10.59462/3068-3505.1.1.102
Copyright: © 2024 Abdelrahman W. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
This paper aims to provide a general overview of the concept of climate justice and its principles, in addition to shedding light on respecting and protecting human rights and gender equality, through which we aim to encourage development rights and fairly divide rights and responsibilities. Then we begin to look at harnessing the transformative power of education for climate governance.
The phrase “climate justice” has been used for more than 30 years to describe and challenge the ways in which people who bear the least responsibility for the effects of climate change suffer the most from it. At the same time, these individuals are frequently left out of decision-making processes concerning solutions to the issue, whether they be related to adaptation or mitigation. A sizable and expanding body of work has been written about the intergenerational, distributive, and procedural aspects of climate justice, as well as recognition issues. However, there is ongoing debate on the definition, application, and practical implications of climate justice. This is because efforts to address climate change and its causes and impacts continue to bring up new questions of justice, equality, and duty related to compensation, responsibility, and ensuring that responses to the climate crisis are both just as well as rapid [1,2].
The notion of climate justice
The idea of addressing the disproportionate effects of climate change on vulnerable and marginalized people, both domestically and internationally, is known as “climate justice.” It acknowledges that the consequences of climate change—which include increased temperatures, harsher weather, rising sea levels, and changes to ecosystems— are not dispersed equally and typically have a greater negative impact on underprivileged groups of people [3].
Principles of climate justice
To create a human-centered approach, climate justice integrates development with human rights. This ensures that the most vulnerable people’s rights are protected and that the costs and benefits of climate change are distributed fairly. Science informs climate justice, which in turn responds to science and recognizes the need for fair resource management. Through its goal to actualize its vision of a future where climate justice is delivered [3].
The principles of climate justice emphasize the need to take into account social, economic, and environmental factors when addressing climate change. It highlights the intersectionality between different forms of oppression, including race, class, gender, and geography, and recognizes that those who contribute the least to global greenhouse gas emissions often bear the heaviest burdens of climate change [4]. Proponents of climate justice contend that combating climate change should prioritize advancing equity, human rights, and sustainable development in addition to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. This entails making sure that everyone has access to inexpensive, clean energy, safeguarding disadvantaged areas from climate-related catastrophes, encouraging sustainable livelihoods, and defending the rights of local communities and Indigenous peoples [5].
Orientation to respecting and protecting human rights
A source of legally required frameworks for ethically acceptable, equality- and justice-based responses to climate change is the international rights framework. The concept of human rights guides society towards universally recognized ideals that serve as a basis for negotiations and eventual action. Human rights yardsticks provide useful, legally defined minimum benchmarks that are widely agreed upon. This approach is essential for action on climate justice since it is based on the guarantee of fundamental rights that are established with respect for human dignity [3].
Encourage the development rights
The greatest injustice of our day is the huge disparity in wealth between the rich and the poor, which manifests itself in the North-South divide. A commitment to true equality should make it necessary for billions of people to have the kind of life chances that have been made beyond reach by a lack of resource equity. This inequality gap has been highlighted and exacerbated by climate change. It also provides an opportunity for the entire planet. It requires a new and respectful model of sustainable development considering climate change. This model must be based on the urgent need to scale up and transfer green technologies and promote low-carbon and climate-resilient policies for the benefit of the world’s poorest people [6].
It is fair to divide responsibilities and burdens fairly
It is necessary to equitably divide the costs and rewards of addressing climate change. In terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions, this entails accepting shared but distinct roles and corresponding capacities. Emissions must be reduced first by those with the most capacity to act and the greatest responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, those who have profited from emissions and continue to do so in the form of continuous economic growth and increased wealth, primarily in industrialized nations, have an ethical duty to distribute benefits to those who are currently experiencing the negative effects of these emissions, primarily vulnerable populations in developing nations. Opportunities for lowcarbon development and adaptation to the effects of climate change must be available to people in low-income nations [1].
Make sure that decisions about climate change are accountable, transparent, and participatory
Building a climate justice culture requires giving people the chance to engage in transparent, fair, accountable, and corruption-free decision- making processes. It is imperative to give voice and action to those who are most at risk from climate change. Accountability for judgments made and transparency in decision-making are fundamental components of good international practice. It should be feasible to guarantee that the requirements of low-income nations concerning climate justice are recognized and sufficiently understood, and that these needs are taken into consideration when developing and implementing policies in this area. Policy decisions of climate change made in a range of fora from the UNFCCC to trade, human rights, business, investment, and development must be implemented in a way that is transparent and accountable: poverty can never be an alibi for government failure in this sphere [7].
Gender equality
It is important to draw attention to the gender aspect of climate change and, by extension, climate justice. Men and women are affected by climate change differently, with women perhaps bearing a heavier weight in impoverished areas. As part of climate justice, women’s objectives must be supported, and their voices acknowledged. Women face challenges when it comes to adjusting to the injustices brought about by climate change in many nations and cultures. They can be crucial change agents in their communities because they understand how important climate justice is to the recognition of the right to development [2].
Utilise education’s transformative power for climate stewardship
Other principles are supported by the transformative power of education, which increases the likelihood of their successful acceptance and instills a deeper understanding of human rights and climate justice in cultures than is currently the case. Radical adjustments in lifestyle and conduct will be necessary to achieve climate stabilization, and education can provide the information and skills that future generations will need to prosper. Education is essential to a just society in addition to being a fundamental human right that is already well-established in the international framework of rights mentioned above. Those who receive it are drawn towards a more comprehensive comprehension of the world around them, increasing their awareness of themselves and of those around them [7].
When done well, it encourages thoughtful consideration of morality and justice, which helps educated people become decent citizens of their states as well as, in these global times, the entire world. When environmental education is provided in a well-designed, multidisciplinary school, college, or university, it can raise awareness of climate change and lead to discoveries in the fields of science, sociology, and politics. Outside of the official system, education can also be attained through public and increasingly virtual (web-based) activities. Learning how to view climate change from a just perspective is a lifelong obligation that requires dedication and cannot be fulfilled alone through education in schools and universities [4].
Basic aspects and principles related to climate justice
Equity and fairness: Climate justice acknowledges that individuals and groups have varying degrees of ability to adjust to and lessen the effects of climate change. It highlights how important it is to divide out the costs, rewards, and duties associated with taking climate action fairly. This entails guaranteeing that underprivileged groups are afforded equitable access to resources, decisionmaking mechanisms, and avenues for influencing climate policies [7].
Human rights: Considering climate change, climate justice places a strong emphasis on defending and advancing human rights. This covers the rights to food, water, shelter, health, life, and a safe environment. Advocates for climate justice want to guarantee that decisions and activities related to the environment do not violate human rights or exacerbate social inequities.
Interconnectedness: Social justice, environmental sustainability, and climate change are all interconnected, according to climate justice theory. It recognizes the connections between the causes and effects of climate change and more general social and economic systems, such as patterns of consumption, inequality, and development. Rather than considering climate change as a stand- alone issue, climate justice attempts to address these systemic problems in a comprehensive manner [4].
Just transition: The goal of climate justice is to facilitate a fair and sustainable shift away from an economy dependent on fossil fuels and towards a low-carbon future. It highlights the necessity of providing alternative livelihoods, retraining opportunities, and social assistance to workers and communities impacted by the move away from fossil fuels. Addressing historical and contemporary environmental injustices in communities disproportionately affected by pollution and the mining of fossil fuels is another aspect of equitable transition [8].
Participatory decision-making: Climate justice places a strong emphasis on the value of incorporating a range of viewpoints, especially those from underrepresented groups, in the processes by which decisions about climate action and policy are made. By valuing and incorporating community members’ expertise, experiences, and objectives into the decision-making process, it aims to enable communities to take an active role in creating climate solutions [9].
Global solidarity: Climate justice acknowledges that combating climate change is a worldwide issue that calls for cooperation and solidarity. To help developing nations mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to it, it is demanded that rich nations accept accountability for their historical emissions and offer them financial and technological support. This entails assisting with financial support, technological transfer, and capacity-building initiatives to solve climate-related issues [10].
Recommendations
Ultimately, to combat climate change, climate justice also requires international solidarity and cooperation. It recognizes the necessity and obligation of industrialized countries - which have historically made the largest contributions to greenhouse gas emissions - to give poor countries the financial and technological support they need to reduce and adapt to climate change.