Introduction to Climate Justice

Climate Justice

In this course, Dr Alix Dietzel (University of Bristol) explores the concept of climate justice and issues of fairness and equity in global climate governance. In the first module, we think about why climate change is an issue of justice and the different components of climate justice. The second module looks at the two major approaches to allocating responsibility for climate action - the polluter pays principle (PPP) and the ability to pay principle (ATP) - and the benefits of models which mix the two. In the third module, we explore how justice is conceptualised in global climate governance, and some barriers to equity in climate negotiations. The fourth module outlines the concept of just transition, opposing “whole systems” and “reductionist” approaches to it. We conclude with a fifth module on how decisions are made at the UN Conferences of the Parties (COPs), and the issues of justice this raises.

Introduction to Climate Justice

In this module, we introduce and define climate justice, focusing on: (i) the reasons why climate change is an issue of justice, most fundamentally because the people who will be most severely impacted by climate change are those who have done the least to cause it; (ii) procedural justice and distributive justice as two key areas of interest for climate justice scholarship; (iii) the concept of just transition - that the global shift away from fossil fuels should be fair and equitable; (iv) other important concerns within climate justice, including guaranteeing the rights of future generations and assigning moral responsibility for climate change.