by jack austin

in their forthcoming book climate justice now, lead editors joerg schaefer, nikhar gaikwad, and rebecca marwege take readers inside a rare kind of climate collaboration — one that bridges science, politics, and philosophy to rethink what justice means in a rapidly changing world.

set for publication in march 2026, the book grew out of a two-year research network linking natural scientists with scholars from the social sciences and humanities. participants were united by a shared problem: while “climate justice” is everywhere in public discourse, there is little agreement on what the term actually means. the result is an ambitious, grounded exploration of how rising seas, migration, labor, and inequality intersect — and how researchers and practitioners can move beyond disciplinary silos toward solutions rooted in real-world experience.

schaefer is co-director of columbia university earth networks decarbonization, climate resilience and justice program. marwege is an assistant professor of environmental politics at the american university in paris, where she teaches climate and environmental politics, social movements, and critical theory.

the book’s 16 chapters bring together contributors from political theory, sociology, migration studies, environmental health, literature, anthropology, ocean and atmospheric science, urban studies, religion, and community planning. together, they examine climate justice through political, social, cultural, scientific, and ethical lenses, demonstrating how interdisciplinary thinking can advance more equitable responses to a planetary crisis.

“we really hope that the book models the type of interdisciplinary discussions and debate that you can have,” marwege said. “it’s showing these very diverse impacts and these very diverse ways of thinking through climate justice — but not staying on the abstract level. each chapter goes into the field, using specific case studies to highlight the difficulties climate change creates.”

climate justice in the fields: labor and health

one example of the book’s chapters navigating different disciplines appears in chapter 8, “climate justice in the field: migrant agricultural workers,” by columbia university professor of environmental health sciences lewis ziska. the chapter examines how rising temperatures directly affect agricultural laborers — both economically and medically.

on hotter days, workers are less productive, but the health impacts can be far more severe. ziska points to “green tobacco sickness,” an illness caused by nicotine absorbed through the skin of tobacco workers — many of them children.

“about a million kids, from ages 10 to 18, pick tobacco globally,” ziska said. “the amount of nicotine they’re exposed to is roughly equivalent to smoking two packs a day. it makes them very sick. climate change exacerbating that sickness is a clear example of how climate affects tobacco workers.”

ziska also warned about heat-related illness as wet-bulb temperatures — when heat and humidity prevent the human body from cooling itself — become more common. once wet-bulb temperatures approach 35°c (95°f), outdoor labor can become deadly. yet only three u.s. states currently mandate rest breaks for agricultural workers.

climate justice, the book argues, cannot be separated from labor protections, public health, or migration — themes that recur across disciplines.

unequal responsibility, unequal impacts

chapter 6 approaches climate justice from a sociological perspective. utah state university sociologist jennifer givens and mufti nadimul quamar ahmed, a ph.d. candidate in environmental sociology, emphasize that developed nations are disproportionately responsible for climate change while bearing fewer of its consequences.

“people will be impacted if we don’t address climate change — and they’ll be impacted inequitably,” givens said. “the concept of climate justice draws attention to that inequity. from a sociological perspective, we really see climate change as a social problem.”

ahmed conducted fieldwork in coastal bangladesh, where rising seas and intensified cyclones have already reshaped daily life despite the country contributing a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions. he argues that achieving climate justice requires visualizing and sharing these uneven vulnerabilities — and fostering dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and the communities most affected.

the outcomes show that those who contributed the least to climate change will feel the greatest impacts of heat and weather extremes.

migration as a climate justice frontier

migration emerges as another central theme. in chapter 7, alex de sherbinin, the director of the columbia climate school’s center for integrated earth system information, examines climate-driven displacement as one of the clearest frontlines of global inequality.

de sherbinin frames climate migration through three principles of justice. procedural justice highlights how people forced to move often have little say in relocation decisions. restorative justice recognizes that the countries most responsible for emissions rarely bear the burdens of displacement. recognitional justice demands acknowledging the dignity and rights of people uprooted by harms they did not cause.

co-author sara pan-algarra, a columbia ph.d. student, conducted qualitative research from 2020 to 2023 in honduras’s sula valley, where climate-driven disasters disrupted education for adolescents. after floods and storms, families struggled to afford transportation and school supplies. temporary displacement destabilized households and increased rates of teen pregnancy and early marriage, especially among girls.

“exposure to a disaster and then consequent displacement really exacerbated inequalities that were already there,” pan-algarra said. “when families lose income, even small costs like school supplies or transportation can determine whether a child stays in school or drops out.”

de sherbinin added that climate change will increasingly drive migration to the united states, europe, and other high-income regions — economies that rely heavily on low-wage labor while excluding migrants from political decision-making.

“migrants, especially refugees, are often not included in decisions related to displacement or resettlement because they’re not citizens,” de sherbinin said. “by virtue of that status alone, they’re excluded from the legal processes shaping their futures.”

planning with, not for, communities

community-led resilience planning is the focus of chapter 15, by paul gallay director of the resilient coastal communities project at columbia climate school. gallay argues that communities are better protected from climate risks like flooding and extreme heat when they are actively involved in planning processes — not merely consulted after decisions are made.

“you need to build a true partnership between planning agencies and frontline communities,” gallay said. “community engagement can’t be a checkbox exercise.”

gallay noted that while wind-driven storms receive much attention, rain-driven flooding is also deadly. two people were killed in new york city floods in october alone. he added that latinx and black communities are disproportionately exposed to pollution and climate risks due to historic patterns of industrial zoning and disinvestment.

investment in community leadership, gallay said, is essential to addressing those inequities.

“if we’re funding flood protection, we should also be investing in energy-efficient housing, water infrastructure, and the social cohesion that allows communities to lead their own planning,” he said.

although gallay believes communities are better prepared than a decade ago, he warned that the scale of the challenge remains daunting. the army corps of engineers has identified 44 potential flood-risk solutions — and each community will require a different mix. flood protection in new york city alone is estimated at $130 billion, a high price tag but still less than the more than $200 billion in damages caused by hurricane katrina.

“the average community is still coming to grips with the enormity of the challenge,” gallay said. “it’s growing, and there are no easy solutions.”

no single definition — and that’s the point

throughout the book, contributors employ different definitions of climate justice — deliberately. schaefer said the goal was not to impose a single framework, but to inspire meaningful action through plurality.

“you cannot define climate justice in one single way,” schaefer said. “it’s dynamic. all you can do is get as close as possible to a meaningful definition — one that inspires action.”

marwege said the collaborative process helped create a shared language across disciplines, breaking down academic echo chambers and making complex research accessible.

individual contributions pushed scholars out of their comfort zones, grounding theory in lived experience. for schaefer, that grounding is what ultimately distinguishes climate justice now.

“one of the most attractive aspects of the book is that it pulls you out of climate gloom,” he said. “it doesn’t deny the crisis — but it shows how to approach climate justice constructively, making people aware of its importance while offering concrete ways to engage with it.”