Climate justice principles

'Climate mainstreaming: Breaking down the silos' series

Policy Brief

10/02/2023

Climate change is a systemic issue that cannot be addressed by siloed thinking and policymaking. The transition to a political, social and economic model needs a holistic understanding to address the planetary emergencies and to implement the commitments of the EU Climate Law. By holistic, we mean a theoretical ground aware of interdependencies between different policy fields.

Transforming societies and economies while respecting sustainability principles means mainstreaming environmental concerns whenever we design policies for all other areas. At the same time, like the effects of climate change, also environmental policies can affect different areas, such as gender and health.

The ‘Climate mainstreaming: Breaking down the silos’ series comprises four policy briefs that foreground and disentangle these interlinkages by connecting climate matters with different disciplinary backgrounds (justice, gender, digital and health).

The objective is to influence and assist progressive policymakers and stakeholders who want to adopt holistic, comprehensive and environmentally sustainable policies that can remedy rather than exacerbate existing inequalities. 

Climate justice

In light of the international nature of the climate crisis, an inclusive account of climate justice that does right by emerging economies is imperative.

After reviewing principles of climate justice which can help allocate the costs and benefits of climate policy, the policy brief suggests a luck-prioritarian account of climate justice as the most normatively plausible way to ensure social inclusivity and furtherance of the general well-being of the least well-off, while factoring in the responsibility of individuals.

Such an account of climate justice provides a plausible avenue for responding to the “triple injustice” outlined in the United for Climate Justice declaration authored by FEPS and partners under the chairpersonship of Teresa Ribera, Minister for the Ecological Transition in Spain. Indeed, it provides an international framework of justice, as well as an intra-national framework for individual-level and intergenerational climate justice.

This policy brief provides policymakers with tools for a more systematic application of principles of climate justice. The normative principles outlined above provide a starting point for mainstreaming climate justice in other policy fields, such as health, gender and digital, where a move away from siloed policymaking is proving urgent.

Network
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Related publications
10/02/2023

Climate and health policy

'Climate mainstreaming: Breaking down the silos’ series
10/02/2023

Climate and gender policy

'Climate mainstreaming: breaking down the silos' series
09/02/2023

Climate and digital policy

'Climate mainstreaming: breaking down the silos' series
Related events
19/04/2023
Online

Climate justice principles

Policy breakfast series on climate mainstreaming
Find all related publications
Publications
18/10/2023

Beyond humanitarian aid: the EU’s approach to alleviating food crisis in the Sahel at a time of global insecurity

'12 years of crises in the Sahel' series
06/07/2023

Towards a renewables scale-up that works for nature

Recovery Watch series
13/06/2023

Improving territorial justice

Transparency, inclusiveness, capacity building and strategy in the Territorial Just Transition Plans
05/05/2023

Fairness and acceptability of environmental externality pricing in Europe

Environmental externality pricing has been long promoted to address environmental problems. The theoretical advantages of […]
Find all related events
Events
Upcoming
06/12/2023
FEPS HQ, Brussels (Expert meeting)

Ensuring a Just Transition in times of industrial transformation

Building on the strong collaboration between the CEE Bankwatch Network, FEPS and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), […]
Past
10 - 12/11/2023
Madrid, Spain

European Forum 2023

7th Edition of the European Forum of Left, Green and Progressive Forces
18/11/2023
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Afrikadag

Climate Justice
Find all related news
News
11/07/2023

A new social contract for the well-being of people and the planet

Call to action on Just Transition
07/02/2023

New study on how and why social issues have increased in prominence during the EP negotiations

Progress towards inclusive economic transition but need for further improvements in terminology and framing of vulnerable groups
13/01/2023

New manifesto giving international impetus to Lula da Silva’s environmental policy

FEPS President, among the 50 scientists and former politicians from Brazil and Portugal who signed the manifesto
15/11/2022

FEPS delegation at COP27

FEPS delegation was present at COP27, with the strategic objectives of mobilizing climate finance for […]
Find all related in the media
In the media

Total honesty and far-right lies

by IPS Journal 04/12/2023
Dive into the insightful analysis published in IPS Journal by Tom Theuns, Assist. Prof at Leiden University, and László Andor, FEPS Secretary General, examining the Dutch election results and the conclusions that need to be drawn for a successful EU Integration

Just Transition: A new social contract for wellbeing of people and planet

by Euractiv 11/07/2023
Euractiv's article ahead of the high-level expert meeting on Just Transition in Valladolid, organized by FEPS, Solidar, and other think tanks and civil society organizations.

A szmogtól és a mikroműanyagoktól rettegő magyarok akkor vehetők rá a zöldítésre, ha egyénileg jól járnak

by Qubit 22/05/2023
'Hungarians who fear smog and microplastics can be persuaded to go green if they are doing well individually' article about FEPS policy study 'Talking green in Hungary'Hungary', in collaboration with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Policy Solutions

Magyarországon már kínos lett a “rezsicsökkentés”

by Népszava 22/05/2023
'"Utility reduction" has already become embarrassing in Hungary' Népszava article about FEPS policy study 'Talking green in Hungary', in collaboration with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Policy Solutions