Introduction to Climate Justice

Today, it’s impossible to talk about the climate crisis without talking about justice. Thanks to the continued activism of grassroots and frontline community organizers, progressive NGOs, and coalitions of small island states, climate politics are now deeply linked to questions of social justice and equity.

This course introduces students to key topics and issues in climate justice in order to gain a foundational understanding of the field. Themes and topics include: theoretical frameworks of climate justice; climate justice and gender; the justice dimensions of climate adaptation and managed retreat; energy democracy and just transitions; the question of culpability and who should be held responsible for causing global warming; and historical efforts to codify justice considerations at international institutions like the UN.