Climate Justice

INTRODUCTION – Why is this a Global Justice Issue?

Heat waves, floods, hurricanes and drought and killing and displacing communities across the world. There is no country not affected by climate change and our greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50% higher than those in 1990. However, climate change is already a deadly reality for many communities globally. Global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system which threatens to have irreversible consequences if we do not act.

Climate Justice is the reality that it is those that contribute least to climate change (through their emissions) are the ones that are impacted first and worst. This is crux for understanding Climate Change as a Justice issue. As Ireland has the 3rd highest greenhouse gas emissions per person in the Europe – there is a lot of scope to take action to redress this global justice issue at a local level.