Climate Justice

Climate justice is a concept that goes beyond simply understanding environmental and climatic impacts by integrating issues of social, economic, and racial equity. It is a movement that recognizes that the effects of climate change are not distributed evenly, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities and populations. Climate justice aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status, has equal access to common goods (particularly water, land, and forests) and, therefore, the right to a dignified, equitable, sustainable, and just life.

Although we are all responsible for the current state of climate injustice, we must acknowledge that the world's main polluters are fossil fuel companies. According to a 2019 article by The Guardian, 20 major fossil fuel companies are responsible for one-third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The top two are Saudi Aramco and Chevron, with Petrobras ranking 20th.

Climate activist Vanessa Nakate emphasizes, "Climate change is more than statistics, it's more than data points. It's more than net-zero targets. It's about the people, it's about the people who are being impacted right now."

Climate justice also addresses environmental racism. Black and Indigenous communities often live in areas more prone to climate disasters. In the United States, for example, predominantly Black neighborhoods are 1.5 times more likely to be exposed to air pollution and are 40% more vulnerable to extreme weather events, according to 2021 EPA data.

To combat these injustices, it is essential to implement effective measures that address both climate change mitigation and adaptation. In the current context of climate change, addressing environmental racism by defending the fair access and control of common goods such as water, land, forests, and biodiversity, along with promoting agroecological production, is fundamental to ensuring food security and environmental sustainability for the vast majority of rural and urban populations.

Some proposals include:

- Emission Reduction Policies and Enforcement: Implementation of strict greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, emphasizing renewable energy sources and clean technologies, with stringent sanctions for major polluting companies.

- Climate Financing: Increasing funding for developing countries, ensuring they have the necessary resources to adapt to climate change and develop sustainably.

- Environmental Justice: Creating policies that ensure all communities have equal access to the benefits of climate actions, including investments in green infrastructure and resilience programs.

Climate justice is, therefore, a holistic approach that seeks to integrate climate solutions with the fight for social and racial equity, recognizing that the climate crisis is also a human rights crisis, where the role of large companies is crucial. Only through collective and inclusive action can we achieve a truly sustainable and just future for all.