Climate Justice – Important but a Source of Conflict

31 March 2021, by Stephanie Janssen

Photo: Pixabay/ Thomas Ritter

Indigenous Groups in the Arctic Region: The Inuit live in Greenland.

Although above all the countries of the Global North contribute to global warming, those living in the Global South have long had to bear the consequences. Who should pay for the effects of climate change? What would be fair?

Dr. Jan Wilkens is part of a team of researchers investigating various concepts of climate justice in regions that are particularly hard hit. To do so, the team is studying the Arctic and the Mediterranean region as examples. The research questions investigated are developed on the basis of local groups and communities’ needs, who the team is in contact with or working with.

“Different concepts of justice become apparent whenever conflicts arise,” says Wilkens. “On the ground, we can see whether the measures devised by the global political community are remotely desired at the local level.” Because when it comes to the use of natural resources like gas and oil, as well as the envisioned energy transition, political and social conflicts can arise. In the name of climate protection, workplaces and natural areas can be reshaped and new technologies introduced that have a direct effect on daily life in the region. The team is analyzing whether, and if so, how these conflicting views are reflected in politics.

->  Project: Contested Climate Justice in Sensitive Regions