We examine climate justice as the explicit framing of climate change as an ethical and political issue. We first look at justice broadly, then environmental justice, and then climate justice. We conclude with a question about justice as degrowth or green growth.

1. 29. CLIMATE
JUSTICE
Prof. Adam Briggle
UNT Phil 4250 Climate Change
adam.briggle@unt.edu

2. OUTLINE
1. Objectives: To explore the idea of climate justice (which frames climate change in explicitly
ethical and political terms) within the wider conceptual frameworks of justice and environmental
justice.
2. Justice
3. Environmental Justice
4. Climate Justice
5. Justice as Sharing vs. Growing

3. JUSTICE
 Diverse, contested, contextual
 Family resemblances or a core concept? Maybe “the constant and perpetual will to
render to each his due” Justinian, 6th CE Roman Law
a. How individuals are treated
b. Claims (rights) that can be made to someone or an institution who/that has
an obligation (responsibility) to dispense justice
c. Impartial and consistent application of rules (treat like alike, equality)
d. An agent or agents do justice or injustice (no cosmic justice or injustice, only
luck, Fortuna)
• Procedural or substantive outcomes? For example, “from each according to their
ability, to each according to their need.”

4. ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
 Origins: Siting issues
 Types: Distribution and Recognition
 Scope: Future generations (e.g., discounting and the
nonidentity problem)
 Scope: Non-human creatures and living and non-living
systems/things

5. CLIMATE JUSTICE: 1
Who has what responsibilities?
What and whom do we need to take into account when evaluating climate policies? How
do we handle risk and uncertainty?
Disproportionate contributions. Historical contributions to the problem (emissions) are
unequal. Developed nations (people, corporations?) have contributed the most.
Disproportionate impacts. Vulnerability to the impacts of climate change is also
unequal. Developing nations, low-income, communities of color, women, indigenous
peoples…stand to suffer the most from a changing climate.
Intersectionality. Climate justice is intertwined with racial, gender, and other forms of
justice. They often are rooted in the same systems and structures of power.

6. CLIMATE JUSTICE: 2
 The SIJ Framework
Who will be harmed both by climate change and by a massive energy transition?
Prioritize their needs: Workers in general, fossil-fuel workers and communities, and
frontline communities.
This is both a moral imperative and a political reality.
 The UNFCCC
UNFCCC 3.1: “The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind, on
the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof."
Physical properties of CO2 are considered relevant to distributing
responsibilities for emission reductions:
• Historical emissions: Long life of warming caused by CO2 should determine mitigation responsibilities.
• Development needs: Current role of CO2 in fueling economic development should determine mitigation responsibilities.

7. JUSTICE AS SHARING OR
GROWING?
Justice as Sharing the Pie vs Growing the Pie
 Lifeboat ethics: the presumption of zero sum and the worldview of footprints =
degrowth
 Ecomodern ethics: the presumption of ingenuity and the worldview of rocket ships =
green growth (and why presume a “carbon budget”?)

8. Ackbar wonders… will
future generations look back
on us and think we were
extremely immoral? After
all, we just keep chugging
out emissions…