4.6.2 What do we mean by equity and justice?

Earth system justice is conceptualised through multiple approaches to justice including, but not limited to, intragenerational, intergenerational and interspecies justice (Gupta et al., 2023). Intragenerational justice refers to relationships between humans rights now and includes justice between states (international), among people of different states (global), and between community members or citizens (communitarian). Intergenerational justice examines relationships across generations, such as the legacy of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for youth and future people and assumes that natural resources and environmental quality should be shared across generations (Tremmel, 2009). Interspecies justice refers more generally to the rights of nature and other species to co-existence on the planet (Harden-Davies et al., 2020) and also counters the idea of human exceptionalism as a lens for thinking through development impacts (Srinivasan and Kasturirangan, 2016). These frameworks can help design just responses to the shifts experienced as we near tipping points, or even help us avoid them all together.

In the context of addressing biophysical tipping points by attempting to enable positive social tipping, a justice lens is critical to ensure that past injustices are not perpetuated in the name of staying within planetary boundaries (Rockström et al. 2023). Attempts to address procedural justice (how processes are designed, who is involved), reparative justice (including recognition of wrongs, restoration where possible and compensation for negative impacts), and distributive justice (or equity) are complicated but important. An Earth system justice approach can promote the fair sharing and management of remaining ecological spaces (Gupta et al., 2021).