Towards a climate change justice theory?

Abstract

The paper takes a closer look at the theories of climate justice (TCJ) to see how different TCJs may be from theories about global justice (TGJ) and environmental justice (TEJ), with a focus on the distinctions and differences between them. Although TEJs remain tethered to domestic and regional social orderings, they generally come closer to TCJs than TGJs do. The paper argues that another important difference between TEJs and TCJs concerns the notion of ‘generations’ in TCJs. This goes beyond the three generations (past, present and future) in most accounts of TGJ to encompass infinite generations. Additionally, there is a human right to do harm and the ways in which TCJ may address harm prevention as the cornerstone of a new planetary approach to justice.