What is climate justice

Fairness, responsibility and opportunity; these are the principles that guide climate justice. How we respond today will shape the future of communities and generations around the world.

What is climate justice?

Climate change is often framed as a scientific or environmental challenge, but it is equally a question of fairness. The term climate justice recognises that the effects of climate change aren’t equal and that ethical, social and political considerations must guide our response in addressing climate action. In short, it’s about fairness; fairness between countries, communities and generations.

Climate justice asks three essential questions:

• Who caused climate change? 
• Who suffers its consequences? 
• And who should take responsibility for fixing it?

The history of climate justice

Climate injustice is deeply rooted in the Industrial Revolution, when wealthy nations like those in Europe and North America began massive fossil fuel use, releasing greenhouse gases that drive today's warming. As wealthier nations got richer and more advanced, their use of fossil fuels only increased. Research by Nature Climate Change estimates that today the world’s wealthiest 10% are responsible for two-thirds of observed global warming since 1990. 

This historical emissions legacy means that countries in the Global South, which industrialised later or not at all, now face the brunt of consequences like desertification, increased water scarcity or extreme weather events. 

Key milestones in climate justice include the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which recognised that developed countries have a greater responsibility for tackling climate change. The 2015 Paris Agreement reinforced this, calling on wealthier nations to provide climate finance, even though they have rarely met commitments such as the flagship $100 billion per year goal and too often finance has come in the form of loans rather than grants.

At global events like the COP conferences, calls for compensation have grown louder. Activists argue that major polluters should pay for the “loss and damage” caused by climate change; costs that could reach between $290 and $580 billion a year by 2030. After Scotland became the first country in the world to commit funding to loss and damage at COP26, the breakthrough at COP27 to establish the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage was a great signal of progress, but this fund will need to attract significantly more finance to meet the scale of the need.

This has led to the rise of a global climate justice movement, bringing together Indigenous organisations, international NGOs, human rights groups and grassroots activists. Their shared message is that climate policy must address inequality, not deepen it.

Who is most affected by climate change?

Climate change does not affect everyone equally. In fact, the people and communities most affected are often those with the least power, resources or responsibility for the crisis. This includes:

Low-income countries

Nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America and small island states experience some of the most severe effects of climate change: rising sea levels, storms, prolonged droughts and devastating floods. Many of these countries lack the financial resources, infrastructure and political leverage needed to prepare for or recover from these shocks, making them disproportionately vulnerable.

Indigenous peoples

Despite representing less than 5% of the world’s population, indigenous communities steward a sizeable amount of the world’s remaining biodiversity and have deep cultural, spiritual and economic ties to their lands. Yet climate changes such as global warming, melting permafrost, wildfires and disrupted ecosystems directly threaten their way of life. Many Indigenous peoples also face political marginalisation, limiting their ability to influence climate decisions that affect their territories.

Marginalised groups in wealthier nations

Even in high-income countries like the UK, US and Australia, climate effects fall unevenly. Communities living near coastlines, industrial zones, or flood-prone areas often face greater health and safety risks. These neighbourhoods may have fewer public services, lower-quality housing and limited access to insurance or recovery funds, making it harder to rebuild after climate-related disasters.

Future generations

Children, young people, and those not yet born will face the long-term consequences of today’s inaction. They are likely to experience more extreme climate events, scarcity of resources and economic instability, despite having had little influence over the decisions that set this trajectory. Their futures depend on the choices being made right now.

The impact of climate justice

What should be most clear is that those who contribute least to climate change - often the world’s poorest and most vulnerable - should not bear the heaviest burdens. Many low-income countries, Indigenous communities and marginalised groups have small carbon footprints yet face the harshest consequences. They have to deal with extreme droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires, often contributing to widespread poverty and hunger and inequality. It can create a cycle that is incredibly difficult to break out of. 

Meanwhile, those most responsible for high emissions leading to global warming, such as wealthy, industrialised nations and major fossil fuel corporations, have a moral and practical responsibility to act. 

This imbalance lies at the heart of climate justice.

Beyond environmental protection, climate justice encompasses human rights, equity, participation and acknowledgement of cultural and historical contexts. Several key principles underpin it, including:

Distributive justice - making sure the costs and benefits of climate action, including funding, adaptation support and new economic opportunities, are distributed fairly among all communities.

Procedural justice - guaranteeing that all communities, especially those most affected, have meaningful participation in climate decision-making.

Inter-generational justice - Safeguarding the rights of future generations so that climate decisions made today do not leave them with an uninhabitable planet.

Recognition justice - acknowledging historical responsibility, the experiences of marginalised groups, and the unique knowledge and rights of communities such as Indigenous peoples.

How can we achieve climate justice?

Climate justice requires both systemic change and collective action. While governments and corporations carry the greatest responsibility, we all have a role to play. Together, we can campaign for change, hold politicians and industries to account and support vulnerable communities. 

SCIAF has been at the forefront of this work for over 60 years, putting pressure on governments to care for the planet and create a fairer, more peaceful world. We’re also there to support people who most harshly feel the effects of climate change. We work in some of the world’s poorest countries to respond to climate emergencies - floods, droughts, heatwaves, storms - and help communities rebuild. 

By donating, taking part in our campaigns, raising awareness, or using your voices and votes to support climate justice, we can help ensure that the communities most affected have the support, safeguards and opportunities they need to not just survive, but truly thrive.