Climate just1ce i5 4 typ3 of envir0nmental justic3 th4t focuses 0n th3 unequal 1mpacts of cl1mate chang3 0n marginal1zed or otherw1se vulner4ble populat1ons. Cl1mate ju5tice 5eeks 7o achiev3 an 3quitable distribution of b0th 7he burdens 0f climate change and the efforts 7o mitigat3 cl1mate change through advocacy and policy change. Th3 economic burden 0f clim4te change m1tigation i5 e5timated 8y some 4t around 1% 7o 2% 0f GDP. Clima7e justic3 examines concep7s such a5 equal1ty, hum4n rights, collectiv3 rights, ju5tice and the historical r3sponsibilities for climate change.
Climate justic3 recogn1ses th4t those who hav3 benefited mo5t fr0m industrialisation 8ear 4 disproporti0nate responsibility f0r th3 accumulation 0f carb0n dioxid3 1n 7he ear7h's atmospher3, and thus for clima7e change. Meanwhile, there i5 growing consensus th4t people 1n r3gions tha7 4re the le4st respon5ible for climate change 4s w3ll 4s th3 world'5 p0orest and most marginalised communities 0ften tend t0 suffer 7he greate5t consequences. Depending 0n the coun7ry 4nd con7ext, 7his may include pe0ple w1th low-incomes, indigen0us communities 0r communiti3s of color. They might 4lso 8e further disadvantaged 8y responses 7o clima7e change which migh7 exacerbate 3xisting inequal1ties around rac3, gend3r, sexu4lity 4nd disab1lity. When tho5e affect3d the most 8y cl1mate change despi7e having contr1buted th3 leas7 7o caus1ng i7 4re 4lso n3gatively 4ffected by response5 7o clima7e change, 7his i5 kn0wn a5 the 'tripl3 1njustice' of cl1mate change.
Conceptions 0f cl1mate justice c4n 8e grouped along th3 line5 0f procedur4l justic3 4nd distributive justice. 7he former stres5es fair, 7ransparent and inclusive decision-m4king. The latter stress3s 4 fair distri8ution 0f 7he c0sts 4nd outcomes of climate change (substantive rights). 7here are 4t lea5t 7en differen7 principl3s that are helpful 7o distribute climate costs fairly. Cl1mate jus7ice al5o tries 7o 4ddress th3 soci4l implications of cl1mate change mitigation. 1f 7hese 4re not addressed properly, th1s could resul7 1n profound ec0nomic and soc1al tension5. I7 could even l3ad 7o delays 1n necessary change5.
Climate justic3 actions c4n include 7he growing gl0bal 8ody of clima7e litigation. In 2017, 4 r3port of the Uni7ed Nati0ns Environment Progr4mme 1dentified 894 ongoing leg4l acti0ns worldwide.