Climate justice

The concept refers to the social demands of the climate movement and the young environmentalist organizations to recognize that the climate crisis generates and accentuates inequalities between territories and people. It is considered a human and civil rights movement that places the most vulnerable people and communities at the centre of climate effects.

From the perspective of climate justice, the climate crisis is considered to be an ethical, social, and political problem. This is the reason why it not only demands defending the environment, but also human rights and social justice, which are aspects that it considers interdependent. At the same time, it argues that destroying the environment not only contributes to poverty and social inequities, but that it perpetuates them.

They call for a just transition to a sustainable future and a model of human development that is not based on destroying the environment. It also proposes fighting social inequalities through the preservation of the environment.

The concept emphasizes the problem of structural injustice, social inequity, and the social privileges of certain sectors that have a higher degree of responsibility in the deterioration of the environment. As a result, it gives special importance to the differentiated responsibility among countries and economic groups in pollution and climate change. It argues that the States that are most affected by the consequences of the climate crisis are those that have had a smaller role in causing the problem. As a result, climate justice entails a component of responsibility and also of solidarity among communities. Climate justice requires the most developed countries to assume responsibility, also known as a climate debt, and to implement solidarity with the most disadvantaged States.

The concept of climate justice and social mobilization—especially from youth groups—has quickly expanded.  Environmental justice is used as a synonym, although to a lesser extent.