Despite a growing focus on the justice dimensions of climate and environmental change, this issue of the IDS Bulletin argues that there are still ‘blind spots’ in dominant mainstream approaches to climate and environmental justice. These approaches share a tendency to place growth, not ecology, nor climate, and certainly not justice, at the heart of the international policy agenda.
The articles in this issue bring together a range of empirically grounded studies that add to – and challenge – some of the dominant views and approaches, and unearth some key ‘hidden’ aspects of the justice dimensions of climate and environmental change. In particular, this IDS Bulletin highlights three major ‘blind spots’ in climate and environmental justice debates: a persistent failure to recognise diverse contexts and knowledges; continuing failure to sufficiently appreciate the deep-seated contestations around climate and environmental justice; and the risks associated with ‘recovery’ and ‘emergency’ mindsets driving climate and environmental policy agendas.
The articles offer principles to address those ‘blind spots’ in order to move towards more just and inclusive pathways for climate and environmental policy processes. In doing so, the articles recognise that there will be variation – across sites and social groups – in the needs, aspirations, and meaningful notions of justice for those who experience the greatest vulnerabilities in the face of change. True solutions may require that powerful political and economic actors’ interests are challenged or that dominant forms of ‘expertise’ are questioned. Approaches to climate and environmental justice must reject efforts to apply one-size-fits-all solutionism.
Reframing Climate and Environmental Justice (full issue)
Edited by Amber Huff and Lars Otto Naess
Introduction: Reframing Climate and Environmental Justice
Amber Huff and Lars Otto Naess
Recognising Recognition in Climate Justice
Tor A. Benjaminsen, Hanne Svarstad and Iselin Shaw of Tordarroch
Cutting the Supply of Climate Injustice
Peter Newell and Mohamed Adow
Livestock and Climate Justice: Challenging Mainstream Policy Narratives
Fernando García-Dory, Ella Houzer and Ian Scoones
Policing Environmental Injustice
Andrea Brock and Nathan Stephens-Griffin
Epistemological Justice: Decoloniality, Climate Change, and Ecological Conditions for Future Generations
Felipe Milanez, Mary Menton and Jurema Machado de A. Souza
Climate Justice for Whom? Understanding the Vernaculars of Climate Action and Justice in Marginal Environments of India
Shilpi Srivastava, Shibaji Bose, Devanathan Parthasarathy and Lyla Mehta
About the IDS Bulletin
The IDS Bulletin is an open access, peer-reviewed journal focusing on international development. In continual publication since 1968, it has a well-established reputation for intellectually rigorous articles developed through learning partnerships on emerging and evolving development challenges presented in an accessible manner in themed issues that bridge academic, practice and policy discourse.
It has become one of the leading journals in its field through engaged scholarship between academics, donors, non-governmental organisations and policy actors worldwide, bringing together cutting-edge thinking, research and debate from the Institute of Development Studies community and its partner organisations. The IDS Bulletin aims to contribute to critical thinking on how transformations that reduce inequalities, accelerate sustainability and build more inclusive and secure societies can be realised.
Editors
