Young Europeans say we need system change to tackle climate change – but most don’t know what ‘climate justice’ means

The concept of ‘climate justice’ argues that rather than being primarily an environmental issue, climate change is an economic, social, and political one – and sees climate change through the lens of struggles for justice and systemic change. It recognises that the impacts of climate change fall hardest on those who are least responsible for causing it and that climate change multiplies existing social injustices. 

Many young people across Europe appear to support the principles of climate justice, according to the results of this poll. 90% of participants said that the climate crisis will affect people living in poverty negatively, 55% agree that those who are least responsible for causing climate change are worst affected, while only 15% disagree, and seven in ten (71%) recognised that climate change will increase existing inequalities.

Solutions often seen as more radical also attracted support. 4 in 10 said that climate change can only be solved if resources are redistributed from the wealthy to those who have less, while only 23% disagreed. 72% of respondents agreed that people and communities most affected by climate change should have more of a say in decisions about climate solutions. 

The ways in which richer nations are mandated to provide compensation to poorer countries for damages caused by the climate crisis (under the Paris agreement) is already a divisive and controversial topic foreshadowing the UN climate negotiations in Glasgow. In this survey, 58% of respondents agreed that they should, with only 13% in disagreement – a result that may be important for European governments afraid of negative public reactions. 

There were some variations across the countries surveyed: in the UK for example, less than 60% agreed that climate change will increase existing inequalities – the lowest of the six countries surveyed. This compares to 76% in Spain.

Confusing terminology? 

Despite supporting many of the arguments made by campaigners, the people surveyed hadn’t necessarily encountered the term ‘climate justice’ before. Across the six countries, less than 30% thought they could explain the meaning of the term to someone else.

Many were also not aware or did not agree, that climate change affects women around the world more than men. The evidence shows that women and girls are hit hardest because social, political and cultural systems exclude their voices, and limit their access to the resources and opportunities needed to withstand and adapt to climate change.  In this survey, only 20% of respondents understood this. 

The results of the survey indicate that many European young people, a part of a generation growing into a disrupted world, are well aware of the need for fundamental changes to society to tackle climate change – and open to discussions about what this means in reality. They may not, however, have always encountered the technical term ‘climate justice’. Climate narratives that start with the ideas behind climate justice and the changes that are needed may therefore be more successful than those that use the term ‘climate justice’ as a starting point.

About the survey and the wider SPARK project

The survey was designed by researchers Dr. Susie Wang, Briony Latter, and Jenny Gellatly at Climate Outreach, and was carried out between 9 and 28 April 2021 by Qualtrics. It draws from previous Framing Climate Justice research carried out by PIRC, 350.org & NEON (2020).

The survey is the first stage in a major piece of pan-European audience research being led by Climate Outreach. The research explores youth attitudes to the interrelated issues of climate change, development, and gender equality, and will culminate in a Youth Climate Narratives Guide in 2022. The research forms part of the wider four-year project SPARK, delivered by a diverse consortium of 20 partner organisations from across Europe, and funded by the European Commission. The research will help inform the consortium’s activities and campaigns. See, for example, this video produced by Oxfam Intermon as part of the Spark project, using the survey results for Spain.