HOW SOCIALIST POLICIES COULD ADDRESS CLIMATE JUSTICE

Climate justice is not just about reducing carbon emissions, but about fairness, equality, and ensuring that those most affected by climate change have the power and resources to fight back.

As an activist deeply engaged in youth movements for climate justice, Kufulu Wohor understands that the current system often prioritizes profit over people and the planet.

By centering public ownership, wealth redistribution, and community-led solutions, socialist principles offer a transformative approach to tackling climate change while ensuring justice for the most vulnerable.

UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE JUSTICE THROUGH A SOCIALIST LENS

Climate justice acknowledges that climate change is not an equal opportunity crisis.

Wealthy nations and corporations are the biggest polluters, yet it is marginalized communities, especially in the Global South that bear the brunt of environmental disasters.

Socialist policies aim to address this imbalance by ensuring that resources and power are distributed more equitably.

Instead of leaving climate solutions in the hands of profit driven corporations, socialism advocates for collective action and state intervention to protect people and the planet.

PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF ENERGY FOR A JUST TRANSITION

One of the most effective ways socialist policies could address climate justice is through the public ownership of energy.

Fossil fuel companies, driven by profit, have no real incentive to transition to clean energy at the scale and speed needed.

A socialist approach would nationalize key energy industries, ensuring that decisions are made based on environmental and social needs rather than corporate greed.

Take Uruguay as an example. The country shifted to 98% renewable energy in less than 15 years, largely because of state owned energy companies that prioritized long-term sustainability over short-term profits.

If Ghana and other developing nations had more control over their energy sectors, they could accelerate their transition to renewables while keeping electricity affordable and accessible for all.

WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION TO FUND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

Climate disasters disproportionately impact poor communities, yet those same communities often lack the resources to recover.

Socialist policies advocate for progressive taxation, where the wealthiest individuals and corporations pay more to fund climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Imagine a climate wealth tax where multinational corporations extracting resources in Africa are required to contribute a percentage of their profits to climate resilience projects in the communities they exploit.

This kind of redistribution would provide funding for disaster preparedness, green infrastructure, and social programs that help vulnerable populations adapt to climate change.

DEMOCRATIC PLANNING AND WORKER-LED TRANSITIONS

A just transition means shifting from fossil fuels to renewables without leaving workers behind.

Under capitalism, workers in polluting industries are often abandoned when their jobs become obsolete.

A socialist approach would ensure that workers have a say in how transitions happen.

For example, in Germany’s Ruhr region, coal workers were actively involved in shaping policies that provided job retraining, employment guarantees, and social benefits as the coal industry declined.

If climate transitions were led by workers and communities instead of corporations, we could ensure that economic shifts do not deepen existing inequalities.

PROTECTING INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Indigenous and local communities are frontline defenders of the environment, yet they are often ignored or even criminalized for protecting their lands.

Socialist policies prioritize collective land ownership and decision-making, ensuring that those who care for the environment are supported rather than displaced.

Bolivia’s 2009 Law of Mother Earth is a great example. It grants nature legal rights and recognizes Indigenous leadership in environmental protection.

If similar frameworks were adopted globally, we could see a dramatic shift toward climate policies that respect both people and ecosystems.

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY OVER GREEN COLONIALISM

Many wealthy nations push for climate action but continue exploitative practices in the Global South.

From lithium mining for electric vehicles to land grabs for carbon offset projects, these so-called "green solutions" often reproduce colonial dynamics. Socialist policies emphasize international solidarity rather than exploitation.

This could mean canceling the debt of developing nations so they can invest in climate resilience instead of paying interest to Western banks.

It could also mean technology-sharing agreements where renewable energy innovations are freely shared rather than patented for profit.

By rejecting profit driven green colonialism, we can build a truly global climate justice movement.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Climate justice demands systemic change, and socialist policies offer a blueprint for a fairer, more sustainable world.

Public ownership of energy, wealth redistribution, democratic planning, Indigenous rights, and international solidarity, these principles ensure that climate action is not just about reducing emissions but about creating a society that prioritizes people over profit.

Activists like Kufulu Wohor and countless others in youth movements worldwide are already pushing for these ideas.

The challenge now is building the political will to make them a reality.

The fight for climate justice is inseparable from the fight for economic justice, and socialism provides a powerful path forward.