The Future of Climate Justice

Held over three sessions in October 2022, the third event in the Edinburgh Futures Conversations Series brought together voices from international leaders, climate scientists, artists, academics, and political economists to discuss the injustice the acceleration of climate change is bringing.

 It is not enough to recognise that climate change is accelerating. Climate change is one of the greatest drivers of injustice the world has ever seen. Those who have contributed the least are facing the greatest burden from an increasingly volatile climate system. While everyone is witnessing the impacts of climate change, in many regions of the world people are losing their homes, livelihoods, culture and lives.

Climate change exacerbates vulnerabilities to drought, hunger, poverty, and conflict across the world. While governments act to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, and messages emerging from the 2021 COP 26 reiterate the urgency of action to reduce emissions to achieve ambitions limits, we must consider the inherent inequalities in the distribution of risks and vulnerabilities.

Climate Justice conversation

Our Climate Justice conversation, held in the lead-up to COP 27 in Egypt in November 2022, took place over three events bringing together voices from international leaders, climate scientists, artists, academics, political economists, and those who understand the nature and the art of balancing life when the odds are mounting.

These events examined the complexities inherent in the current narratives on climate action and aimed to expand on the nascent momentum for change across the world. Climate justice asserts the need to support, financially and technically, countries which are most vulnerable to climate changes. Creating low-carbon pathways while recognising the historic burdens of responsibility to decarbonise lie with those who have most benefited from fossil fuel.

Reparation and Equality

This panel event opened the third in the University’s Futures Conversations series and discussed how progress could be made on the back of COP26.

AMUK: A performance by Khairani Barokka

Indonesian writer and artist Khairani Barokka performed a new, archipelago-futurist piece on environmental and climate crises as the result of centuries of colonial extractivism.

Actions that change systems

The final event in The Future of Climate Justice series took place online with an extended community of climate justice leaders who share and examine the actions that can change systems.

Student photography competition

Edinburgh Futures Institute asked University of Edinburgh students to respond creatively to the theme of The Future of Climate Justice, and the address the question: what does climate justice look like to you?