Climate Injustice, Racial Capitalism, and the Contradictions of Property

This article examines the legal constitution of racialized climate injustice, assessing the racialized dynamics of property in the context of climate change. It explores these examples: first, the failure of the international climate regime to contest unjust appropriation of the atmosphere by industrialized countries regarding historical emissions; second, the limitations of the “no-harm” rule, which is effectively the internationalization of the domestic principles of the tort of nuisance, in providing compensation for the racialized harm caused by climate change; and third, how international investment law is allowing fossil fuel companies to seek compensation if governmental actions in response to climate concern impact their investment or hoped-for returns.

Appropriation · Climate justice · Compensation (psychology) · Constitution · CONTEST · Context (archaeology) · Harm · Property (philosophy) · Tort · Climate Change and Geoengineering · Environmental law and policy · Political Philosophy and Ethics