Climate Justice: The Role of Black Environmentalists
Climate change and racism are two of the biggest challenges of the 21st century and they are strongly intertwined. There is a stark divide between who has caused climate change and who is suffering its effects. People of colour across the Global South are those who will be most affected by the climate crisis, even though their carbon footprints are generally very low. Similar racial divides exist within global north nations too, due to profound structural inequalities laid down by a long legacy of unequal power relationships. The role of black environmentalists, climate change activists and academics is key in advocating for social justice and equity in climate change policies and tackling the harm that environmental racism has caused in various racialized communities both at the local and global scale.