What is climate (in)justice and why is it important?
Climate justice connects questions of the climate crisis with questions of justice. Climate justice aims to ensure that the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) take on special responsibility for reducing them. Because the countries that cause the climate crisis, i.e. that emit the most CO₂, can better protect themselves from the consequences. At the same time, the countries that emit the least CO₂ are the hardest hit by the climate crisis. They suffer the most from the effects of drought, floods and extreme weather and are less able to protect themselves from them. This is climate injustice. So not all countries are equally involved in the climate crisis and not all people are equally affected by its effects.

Who has a right to be climate JUST? The Global South? The Global North?
It is the task of the countries of the Global North (industrialized countries) to reduce their climate-damaging emissions and to support the Global South in adapting to the climate crisis. Remember: countries of the Global South have often been exploited by European colonialism. This resulted in many inequalities and dependencies between countries in the Global South and North, as well as in ecological crises. The aim should be to offer ALL people fair opportunities and to enable a LIVABLE future on ONE planet.

Climate justice is much more...
Climate justice also deals with other forms of justice, for example with
Gender equity: Women and men are affected differently by the effects of the climate crisis and contribute differently to its causes. According to the UN, women and children are 14 times more likely to die from natural disasters than men, for example because they flee to care for relatives, are less likely to swim or are warned later. Scan the QR code to learn more.
Social justice: In Austria, the richest 10% cause around twice as many climate-damaging emissions as people with an average income. Scan the QR code to learn more.
Intergenerational equity: Is it fair that younger people and future generations, who contributed the least to the climate crisis, will suffer the most in the future?

Invitation to try
You can use the Climate Justice Scale to tell if something is fair or unfair: When the scale is balanced, meaning it’s floating on either side without touching the ground, that's a sign that something is evenly distributed. If one side is heavier than the other, the scale is out of balance. This gives rise to research into the reasons and causes for this. You can always think of solutions at the same time.
Here’s how it works... In the large box next to the Scale of Climate Justice you will find the game instructions and other boxes. Do you see the bars on either side of the scale? Here you can put the boxes. You can find out exactly how this works in the game instructions!

Time for utopias
Many people dream of a just world and a healthy and green planet. Along the climate path, we would like to invite you to think about what a climate just world could look like. Imagine living in a climate-friendly world in the future. What does a day in your life look like? Share your ideas with us and see what others think. Share your ideas and visions on the time for utopias board next to the Climate Justice Scale or online via this QR code.