HL.c.13—Environmental and social justice movements

Environmental and social justice movements developed from different histories but increasingly seek equitable societies in which environmental benefits, harms, participation and recognition are fairly distributed.

Both challenge structures that treat some beings or groups as superior and others as available for exploitation; environmental decisions can intersect with racism, sexism, Indigenous rights, poverty and obligations to future generations.

A clean-energy project may cut emissions yet displace a low-income or Indigenous community; a just approach includes consent, participation, benefit sharing and recognition of local knowledge.

Check who bears risk, who receives benefit, who decides, whose knowledge counts and whether present gains transfer costs to future people.

An environmentally beneficial aggregate outcome can still be unjust in distribution, recognition or process.