Climate justice is a concept that addresses the just division, fair sharing, and equitable distribution of the burdens of climate change and its mitigation and responsibilities to deal with climate change. It recognizes the disproportionate impacts of climate change on low-income communities and communities of color around the world, the people and places least responsible for the problem. Climate justice is understood in many ways, and the different meanings are sometimes contested. At its simplest, conceptions of climate justice can be grouped along the lines of procedural justice, which emphasizes fair, transparent, and inclusive decision making, and distributive justice, which places the emphasis on who bears the costs of both climate change and the actions taken to address it.

Climate justice acknowledges that climate change can have differing social, economic, public health, and other adverse impacts on underprivileged populations. Advocates for climate justice are striving to have these inequities addressed head-on through long-term mitigation and adaptation strategies. Key factors to consider in thinking about climate justice include recognizing that key groups are differently affected by climate change, linking human rights with development and climate action, and having a people-centered approach to climate action.

Climate justice seeks solutions that address the root causes of climate change and, in doing so, simultaneously address a broad range of social, racial, and environmental injustices. The Green New Deal, for example, is an innovative proposal that tackles both climate change and inequality and is therefore very much aligned with climate justice. Proposals for just transitions are being considered in diverse spaces including cities, suburban and peri-urban environments, and rural areas around the world.

Environmental and climate justice is a civil rights issue, and it is critical to reduce harmful emissions, particularly greenhouse gases. Communities must continue to have the ability to monitor pollution in their communities, and more defined language is required to explain the documentation of emissions. A climate justice approach to natural climate solutions considers not just how the land is managed but who has access to it.