Leaving No One Behind: Climate Change as a Societal Challenge for Social Justice and Solidarity

Abstract

In this chapter, we explain the role of environmental justice principles in people’s motivation to engage in sustainable behaviour. Subsequently, these principles are placed in the larger framework of Value-Belief-Norm-theory. We argue that these motivational accounts of sustainable behaviour fall short in explaining people’s decisions to engage in sustainable behaviour. First, besides motivation, people’s capabilities and opportunities may influence such behaviours, creating social inequality in sustainability transitions. We illustrate this with a case study on Dutch social housing residents’ attitudes toward a sustainable building renovation. Second, some people may be sceptical about climate change, which could also inhibit sustainable behaviour. Taken together, this chapter raises multiple questions regarding solidarity and social justice that warrant further discussion in the transition to more sustainable societies.