Urban climate justice: creating sustainable pathways for humans and other species

Abstract

Within the current climate of change (environmental, economic and social) what constitutes 'justice' is continually shifting in relation to vulnerable people, places and species. This is most acute in cities, where the majority of people now live and the need to create new pathways of co-existence between humans and other species has been recognized. The convergence of rapid urbanization and anthropogenic climate change has had disproportionately negative effects on the urban poor and those most marginalised (human and non-human). This paper provides a critical overview of the emergent field of urban climate justice which focuses on the complex links between environmental sustainability, human vulnerability and biodiversity loss in the natural environment. This is an interdisciplinary agenda demanding new forms of sustainability research and practical engagement underpinned by calls for a more integrated approach to eco-social justice principles around human and other species equity in cities.