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Abstract
Climate justice requires sharing the burdens and benefits of climate change and its
resolution equitably and fairly. It brings together justice between generations and justice
within generations. In particular it requires that attempts to address injustice between
generations through curbing greenhouse gas emissions do not end up creating injustice in
our time by hurting the presently poor and vulnerable. This essay considers the
transformative power of education in its many dimensions as one entry point into
expanding the scope of policy instruments for climate justice. First, education can change
behavior, primarily in rich countries but also in poor countries, and thus help mitigate
climate injustice between the generations. Second, resources targeted to the education of
the poorest in poor countries can help their development but also help to counter some of
the negative spillover effects of interventions to mitigate climate change. Hence the title of
this essay — Education for Climate Justice.