Environmental justice

environmental justice

The idea and concept of environmental justice originated when the interest of activist, academic, and political circles in the USA toward environmental (in)justice was systematically expressed

1980s

environmental justice

The earliest approaches concerning environmental justice focused on the inequity in the distribution of environmental bads

"All people and communities are entitled to equal protection of environmental and public health laws and regulations."

Bullard (2000)

The concept of "fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies" is central to the idea of environmental justice.

Climate change has pushed environmental justice to more broad considerations of both environment and justice.

“the breadth of the understanding of environmental and climate justice here both includes and moves beyond local environmental conditions, to expand the environmental justice frame and engage broader conceptions of social and global justice”

Theorizing Environmental Justice: The Expanding Sphere of a Discourse, Schlosberg (2013)

Fair Treatment

That means that no group of people should disproportionately experience the negative impacts of environmental hazards. This includes exposure to pollution, hazardous waste, and other environmental risks.Fair treatment also ensures that all communities have equal access to environmental benefits such as clean air, water, parks, and green spaces.

Meaningful Involvement

Key Elements of Environmental Justice

Meaningful involvement ensures that affected communities have a say in the environmental decisions that impact them, have access to information related to environmental issues and policies and their views and concerns oare genuinely considered in the decision-making process.

Challenges to Achieving Environmental Justice

Institutional Barriers

Policy Implementation

Economic Inequality