Jessica Roncker

Increasing recognition of the multi-faceted injustices of climate change has led to growing interest in the actions people can take to advance climate justice (CJ). Yet, within the empirical literature on climate change action by everyday people, limited research has considered climate justice as a framework for action. To explore the current state of the literature on this critical topic, this systematic review examined 74 peer-reviewed articles (2008–2020) focused on CJ action. Within this rapidly-growing literature, we found that – in contrast to traditional definitions of action, which often emphasize individual behavioural shifts with consequences for the environment – people’s involvement in CJ action was largely framed as a collective pursuit with consequences for humanity. Moreover, in this multidisciplinary literature with data collected across 69 countries, CJ action was employed by children, youth, adults, and elders in diverse forms – from activism (e.g. protests) to community-based initiatives (e.g. restoration projects) – aimed at systemic change to prevent future climate-driven harms.

Growing recognition of the multi-faceted injustices of climate change has resulted in shifting public and policy discourse around how to understand and address climate change, yet justice considerations are rarely present in climate change education (CCE). With aims of bringing visibility to existing efforts and building a foundation for more widespread justice-driven CCE, this systematic review examined how justice frameworks are being employed in a range of CCE contexts, within and beyond the classroom. Analyses of 55 peer-reviewed articles with data from 57 countries published between 2007 and 2020 demonstrate that the empirical literature on justice in CCE has grown significantly in recent years. Notably, justice-driven CCE in this review took place within and beyond STEM education settings, was fueled more by people-focused aims (e.g. advancing equity) compared to planet-focused aims (e.g. protecting the environment), and encompassed a remarkable diversity of educational processes, goals, and outcomes—with learners of all ages—across formal, community-based, and activist learning contexts. Findings have implications for scholars, educators, and practitioners across disciplines committed to educating for justice in the face of climate change.