Environmental justice and the SDGs: from synergies to gaps and contradictions

Abstract

Through their synergies, trade-offs, and contradictions, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have the potential to lead to environmental justices and injustices. Yet, environmental justice (EJ), and social justice more broadly, are not currently embedded within the language and spirit of the SDGs. We part from the premise that "many 'environmental' problems are, by their very nature, problems of justice" (Lele, Wiley Interdiscip Rev Water 4:e1224, 2017). We review progress in EJ frameworks in recent years, arguing for the need to move beyond a focus on the four principles of mainstream EJ (distribution, procedure, recognition, and capabilities) towards a more intersectional decolonial approach to environmental justice that recognises the indispensability of both humans and non-humans. EJ frameworks, and the SDGs should recognise power dynamics, complex interactions among injustices, and listens to the different 'senses of justice' and desires of theorists, activists, and other stakeholder from the Global South. We analyze how EJ frameworks are, or fail to be, incorporated in the SDGs with a focus on the food-water-health nexus (SDG2, 3, 6); climate-energy (SDG7, 13), conservation (SDG14, 15); and poverty and inequality (SDG1, 10). We call attention to the 'elephant in the room'-the failure to go beyond GDP but instead include economic growth as a goal (SDG8). We argue that sustainable degrowth and intersectional decolonial environmental justices would create better conditions for the transformative changes needed to reach the broader aim of the SDGs: to leave no one behind.

Analysing interactions among the sustainable development goals: findings and emerging issues from local and global studies

“…Delabre et al ( 2019 ) describe injustices that arise in Brazil from differing interpretations of ‘sustainability’ by various multi-stakeholder initiatives. Menton et al ( 2020 ) describe the conflicts and environmental injustices that often arise in these regions due to expansion of extractive industries and large-scale agriculture (see also below). In sum, these studies articulate trade-offs occurring between economic growth (SDG 8), forest conservation (SDG 15), and the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples living in these areas (SDGs 3 and 10).…”

“… In Ecuador, research has shown that national policies to advance economic growth (SDG 8) via increased oil extraction have caused environmental degradation and health impacts near extraction sites that harm poor and indigenous people. Furthermore, oil extraction has not markedly improved their economic condition (Menton et al 2020 ; Larrea et al 2020 ). As a result, striving to achieve SDG 8 (economic growth) at the national and international levels is making it more difficult to achieve SDG 3 (good health) and SDG 15 (life on land) at the local level, sometimes leading to violence (see below).…”

“…In some cases, support for extractive industries and large-scale agriculture (SDGs 2 and 8) is linked to violence against local communities and indigenous peoples, including murders of environmental and land defenders and other physical and structural violence (Menton et al 2020 ). Butt et al ( 2019 ) found that killings of environmental defenders were highest in countries with weak rule-of-law and high levels of corruption.…”

“…The prevalence of environmental, land and resource conflicts, and the consequent social and environmental injustices and violence experienced by marginalised and vulnerable communities highlights the importance of rights-based approaches to the SDGs and the role of governance (SDG16) in mitigating these injustices (Menton et al 2020 ).…”

A global environmental justice movement: mapping ecological distribution conflicts

“…The meeting was in Washington DC but the terms "environment" and "justice" were used in ways that challenged US capitalist domination; certainly not a Western celebration of coloniality and racism, on the contrary. The document included affirmation of the sacredness of Mother Earth and the right to be free from ecological destruction; peoples' right to self-determination; rights of participation and enforcement of principles of informed consent; rejection of military occupation, repression and exploitation of lands, peoples, and cultures, and other life forms (Menton et. al., 2020).…”