Environmental justice

The document defines environmental justice as the right to healthy living environments and a fair share of nature's benefits. It argues that the poorest populations are disproportionately affected by environmental damage and climate change, while the wealthiest are most responsible. Friends of the Earth advocates for 'climate justice,' where rich countries lead in carbon cuts and fund adaptation for poorer nations. The text highlights specific case studies of its work, including fighting oil pollution in Nigeria, uranium mining in Australia, and urban planning issues in the UK.

• Friends of the Earth advocates for 'climate justice' based on the principle that the wealthiest nations, which have historically polluted the atmosphere the most, should bear the primary responsibility for tackling climate change. This includes leading carbon emission cuts through domestic changes rather than offsetting, funding adaptation for poorer countries, and supporting the development of clean technology in developing economies.
• The document identifies several systemic environmental injustices, noting that people in deprived areas have less influence over their environment and are more susceptible to pollution. In the UK, children in the most deprived areas are five times more likely to be killed by traffic than those in wealthier areas, and four million households suffer from fuel poverty, spending more than 10% of their income on heating.
• Friends of the Earth reports on various international legal and community actions, including: forcing the Nigerian government to address 400,000 tonnes of oil spills by Shell in the Niger Delta; stalling a uranium mine in Australia's Kakadu National Park; securing strict regulations for the ship-breaking industry in Bangladesh; and saving 7,000 hectares of forest in Uganda from sugar cane production.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2010). Environmental justice. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/environmental_justice.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Environmental justice. 2010. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/environmental_justice.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Environmental justice |date=July 2010 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/environmental_justice.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2010environmental, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Environmental justice}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2010}, month = jul, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/environmental_justice.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }