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Climate Injustice in Brazil: What We Are Failing Towards a Just Transition in a Climate Emergency Scenario?

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Towards a just climate change resilience

Abstract

This chapter questions how climate justice is—if it is—present in the Brazilian climate change debate and praxis. For this purpose, three climate change plans are analyzed concerning how categories related to justice, poverty and right issues are inserted or not inserted in current local planning practices. The chapter is illustrated by analysing three cities, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro and Santos. The Plans demonstrate progress regarding science and policy dialogue but still severe gaps concerning community participation. The authors warn that the absence of social participation, not only business as usual but also breaking paradigms and including the most vulnerable, ends up reinforcing unequal historical processes—the opposite direction towards equity and just a sustainable future.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Established by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), https://www.ibge.gov.br/en/geosciences/territorial-organization/territorial-typologies/17553-subnormal-agglomerates.html?=&t=o-que-e, accessed on 22 April 2021.

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Acknowledgements

The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) supported this work (2018/06685-9, 2019/18462-7 and 2015/03804-9).

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Campello Torres, P.H., Leonel, A.L., de Araújo, G.P. (2021). Climate Injustice in Brazil: What We Are Failing Towards a Just Transition in a Climate Emergency Scenario?. In: Campello Torres, P.H., Jacobi, P.R. (eds) Towards a just climate change resilience. Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81622-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81622-3_6

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