Critical climate justice: Towards a decolonial climate justice praxis

• In Event: Toward a more equitable world: Solidarity, discourse and climate justice.

Proposal

The rapidly accelerating disruption of the Earth's climate and ecosystem is one of the most pivotal and urgent issues of our time. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2021) has forcefully highlighted the depth of this global problem and underlined the unequal and uneven repercussions of the climate crisis across our globe, discussing the disproportional impact of climate disruptions on the world's most vulnerable populations. Indeed, to avert a total climate catastrophe, climate governance must embrace and implement all forms of climate justice (Harris, 2021).

A critical climate justice framework focuses on these inequalities and addresses the myriad ways in which people have been impacted differently, unevenly and disproportionately across time and space. Through an intersectional analysis, the resultant injustices of the climate crisis are reframed to draw attention to the social impacts and justice concerns and demonstrate how climate change is "not just a science, techno-managerial, or finance issue", but rather a moral and ethical one (Gardiner, 2011; Shue, 2014). Indeed, the primary goal of critical climate justice education is to reduce "marginalization, exploitation, and oppression, and enhance equity and justice" (Sultana, 2022).

This paper will focus on the ways in which critical climate justice examines the various structural inequalities that contribute to climate injustices. By approaching the issue from diverse perspectives including those of "culture, gender, indigeneity, race, and sexuality as well as challenging colonial histories and capitalist presents", critical climate justice education seeks to explore and explain the underlying causes of the climate chaos and map out theoretically informed practices and strategies for a better planetary future within a framework of "sustainable and just economic, social, and political policies and practices" (Bhavnani, Foran, Kurian and Munshi, 2019). Underlining issues of differential exposure, risk and vulnerability, critical climate justice education focuses on equity considerations, accountability and obligations for a critical climate justice praxis (Sultana, 2021).

The paper will further focus on how critical pedagogy, political ecology and environmental justice can provide a mapping for responsible action to the climate crisis. The work of Kahn and Misiaszek on ecopedagogy and ecoliteracy will be reviewed with an emphasis on unpacking the hidden curricula of development and sustainability (Kahn, 2010; Misiaszek, 2018). The writings of Robbins and Perreault on political ecology will also be included in an analysis of the socially and spatially unequal impacts of the ecological crisis (Robbins, 2011; Perreault, 2015). Finally, a discussion of the radical environmental justice framework argued by Schlosberg that emphasizes notions of distributive justice based on recognition, capabilities, and participation, as well as a brief discussion of harm avoidance and burden sharing justice put forth by Caney will be included in setting the definitional parameters of a critical climate justice education (Schlosberg, 2007; Caney, 2014).

Author

• Rezan Benatar, Independent Scholar and Consultant