Multivalent Environmental and Ecological Justice Reimagined.

Area of Science:

• Environmental ethics
• Global environmental policy
• Social justice theory

Background:

• Climate change and environmental degradation pose significant global threats.
• Existing frameworks for environmental justice and ecological justice are insufficient for guiding global action.
• Current dominant concepts primarily focus on distribution, recognition, inclusion, and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and incorporate additional dimensions of environmental and ecological justice from Global South perspectives.
• To address the limitations of current multivalent concepts in capturing the full scope of environmental injustices.
• To propose a broadened framework for understanding and addressing environmental and ecological justice globally.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of ontological and experiential starting points from the Global South, including holism and experiences of colonization.
• Examination of epistemic reasons for the exclusion of additional dimensions in dominant theories.
• Application of Global North and South theories to reimagine dimensions of power, harmony, and recognition.

Main Results:

• Global South perspectives highlight the importance of harmony and power as crucial dimensions of justice.
• Existing concepts overlook key aspects of recognition informed by diverse global experiences.
• A broadened concept of environmental and ecological justice identifies injustices previously unrecognized by mainstream frameworks.

Conclusions:

• Integrating Global South perspectives enriches environmental and ecological justice discourse.
• A more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of justice is necessary to effectively combat the environmental crisis.
• The proposed broadened framework offers a more equitable approach to addressing environmental challenges worldwide.