Sustainability & Social Justice

Time required: 60-70 minutes

Welcome to Sustainability & Social Justice. This module was developed by UNB Sustainability and the Office of Experiential Education to introduce the role of social justice in sustainability.

To get started, please watch the video or read the video transcript. Click the play button on the video to start. You can turn on video subtitles using the [CC] button in the bottom right corner of the video or open the video transcript.

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Welcome to Sustainability & Social Justice. This online module was developed by UNB Sustainability and the Office of Experiential Education to introduce the role of social justice in sustainability.

To begin, let’s define social justice and social equity:

Social justice is a broad term that can be defined in many ways. The image of a “just society” is different for everyone since it is based heavily on personal views and opinions.

In general, there are a few core principles to all social justice:

the acknowledgement that injustices (social, cultural, structural, economic) exist and persist
different groups have been made unequal, and inequality is maintained by the powerful
injustice is sanctioned and passed on through social systems and institutions that communities use (law, education, media, family, culture, etc.)
social justice can be developed through intervention and community action, whether it be education, abolition, reparation, reclamation, restitution, etc.

Social equity includes fair, just, and equitable public institutions, services, and policies. It includes fair access to the basic requirements for safe and healthy communities and individuals. Social equity tries to apply the concept of equity at a community, institution, country, or global level.

Equity should not be confused with equality (which is the idea that everyone starts on a “level playing field” and should get the same). Equity instead acknowledges that there is no level playing field. Instead, different people and groups face different biases and barriers. As a result, for different people or groups to achieve equal or similar outcomes, treatment (such as access, policies, and more) must be different to account for the various biases and barriers faced.

Now, let's review our definition of sustainability from our Sustainability 101 module and look at how it connects to social justice:

In general, sustainability is development that meets today’s needs without compromising the needs of the future. Sustainability includes three different areas:

1) Economic sustainability

Economic sustainability aims to maintain intact global communities and ensure that everyone has access to secure sources of livelihood.

The goal of ensuring everyone has access to secure sources of livelihood is fundamentally one that promises equity to all individuals and groups in terms of accessing employment-related opportunities, such as education, training, fair wages, or access to land in order to engage in traditional subsistence activities.

2) Social sustainability

The goal of social sustainability is to protect the basic requirements for keeping individuals and communities healthy, secure, and respected while ensuring that they are available and accessible to all. This goal includes aspects of both social equity and justice, as we can break those basic requirements into items, including:

Access to clean water
Access to sufficient, nutritious food
Access to healthcare
Access to community resources
And more...

Ensuring all individuals and communities have access to these necessities and that they are available in culturally appropriate forms is a social equity and social justice issue.

3) Environmental sustainability

The goal of environmental sustainability is to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems by supporting health and well-being, now and in the future.

It has been observed that those who are often impacted most deeply by environmental issues, including climate change and its effects, such as drought, flooding, and severe weather, live among the most marginalized groups. The poorest people and poorest countries are often hit hardest and have the fewest resources for adaptation, mitigation, and rebuilding after natural disasters. Better conserving resources and supporting health and well-being can help address and alleviate some of these effects. This would be a powerful step toward improving social justice globally.

In this module, we will take a closer look at how social equity and social justice impact and integrate with ideas about sustainability. We'll also look at some Canadian organizations working to promote social equity and social justice. Finally, we'll also look at ways to get involved in supporting social justice issues related to sustainability.

“In the Mi’kmaw culture we have a guiding principle called ’Netukulimk’ which means doing things in a way that ensures we don’t experience scarcity. It is the closest concept to the word sustainable but I think it goes beyond just being sustainable as it empowers the individual to take into consideration how their actions will affect the present as well as the future.”

- Cecelia Brooks, Saint Marys First Nation Elder

Marginalized groups and identities

Power and privilege are not evenly distributed in society. Certain groups, based on ethnicity, language, religion, socioeconomic status, disability status, sexuality, and other distinctions, tend to have less power, less access to resources or opportunities, and less of a voice than others. You can learn more about this by watching the “Power and Privilege” video.

People who tend to have less power, access, and voice are often described as marginalized groups. The process of marginalization (also known as social exclusion) involves the treatment of a person or group as insignificant and can occur through the denial of resources and access or exclusion. Marginalized groups tend to be poorer, have less of a voice in politics and decision making, and have less access to education, healthcare, and steady employment.

With regard to sustainability, marginalized groups are more likely to:

Experience barriers to engaging in sustainability goals.
Be affected by poverty, food insecurity, and social biases.
Living in low-income and under-resourced communities.
Living in communities with high exposure to toxic waste, unsanitary water, etc.
Be excluded from conversations about sustainability that affect them.

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Power and privilege are fairly complex ideas about society, which are often misunderstood or simplified, especially in the media and in social media.

In general, power is the ability to influence others and impose one’s beliefs. Power can take different forms (such as social, economic, and political power) and how it is applied changes depending on context. It is closely tied to things like social status, socioeconomic status, and law. It is unequally distributed in society – some people and groups have more power than others. Some people and groups may have lots of one type of power but little of another. Often, individuals may not be aware of the power that they hold based on the groups they are part of, or the ways that they benefit from this connection. Having power or benefiting from being a member of a group that has power is where privilege begins.

Privilege includes the unearned advantages, benefits, or rights that come from being a member of a dominant social group. It is historically based, which means that the advantages often come from that group having help more power over others over a long period of time. Most people are born into privilege based on their race, sex, country of origin, or other dimensions.

It is important to remember that programs or initiatives intended to increase equity, such as scholarships intended for people of a marginalized group, are not a form of privilege. Instead, equity-improving programs help individuals or groups without privilege gain access to opportunities they would otherwise have been excluded from.

Oppression is the very opposite of privilege. It occurs when a group lacks power, and has their freedoms, rights, access or opportunities withheld because of their membership to that group. Most people are born into oppression. There are examples of oppression throughout history and continuing into the current day. Often oppression is enforced by social systems such as the legal system and government.

Because both privilege and oppression are supported or enforced by the social systems that individuals are raised in, it can be easy to assume that the way things are is the way they are – that is, that change is unnecessary or impossible. If you have lived on the privileged side of the system, you may not recognize the inequalities that occur or you may not understand the harm. Because someone with privilege is less likely to have experienced the negative sides of a system, they often do not recognize their privilege – often this is described as privilege feeling invisible.

On the opposite side, the harm in a social system can appear very real and very obvious to a group that is experiencing oppression.

To complicate matters, people can be privileged in some ways and marginalized, or even oppressed, in others.

For example, any community living in poverty is likely to experience considerable social barriers to stable health, safety, employment, housing, and more. However, for racialized communities living in poverty, their economic status and their race intersect and may increase the experience of oppression. In this example, the non-racialized community is not likely to think of their position as “privileged” – they are experiencing oppression due to a lack of socioeconomic power. Compared to communities living above the poverty line or those with excess wealth, their access, opportunities and in some cases, freedoms and rights, are significantly limited.

However, the fact that they belong to the dominant social group based on race is a form of privilege over their counterparts in the racialized community. Because of their racial identity, the racialized community will have even less control or power over their circumstances and even fewer opportunities.

Finally, it’s important to be clear that people who experience oppression are not powerless. Resistance to oppression and challenging injustices is also power.

Key definitions

Social equity – Fair, just, and equitable public institutions, services, and policies. It includes fair access to the basic requirements for safe and healthy communities and individuals. Social equity seeks to apply the concept of equity at a community, institution, country, or global level.

Equity – Asserts that there is no “level playing field” – that equal treatment can still create unequal results when it does not acknowledge existing biases and barriers. Equity is concerned with understanding how individual differences and needs require individual and differential treatment to produce equal or similar outcomes for different people.

Social justice – A broad term that can be defined in many ways. The image of a “just society” is different for everyone, and so no one universal definition is appropriate. Broadly speaking, many worldwide social justice movements have followed a few core principles:

the acknowledgement that injustices (social, cultural, structural, economic) exist and persist
that different groups have been made unequal, and inequality is maintained by the powerful
that injustice is sanctioned and passed on through social systems and institutions that communities use (law, education, media, family, culture, etc.)
that social justice can be developed through intervention and community action, whether it be education, abolition, reparation, reclamation, restitution, etc.

Climate justice – A specific field of social justice that looks at climate-related expressions of racism and inequality and calls for changes in the structures that cause these problems. Climate justice recognizes that those least responsible for climate change, like Indigenous people and the global poor, are also those who are most vulnerable to its effects. (Chomsky, 2022)

Marginalization (also known as social exclusion) – Refers to the idea of treating a person or group as insignificant or peripheral – in other words, relegating them to the margins. Marginalization can occur through the denial of resources or access, and/or exclusion from physical and social spaces. In a social context, marginalization occurs in relation to race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, age, and more. Marginalization creates systematic disadvantages in health and wellness, access to funding and resources, employment and education, safety and housing, and much more.

The role of social equity and social justice in sustainability

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a strong focus on all three types of sustainability (economic, social, and environmental). As a result, the SDGs can be easily viewed through a social equity and social justice lens. Let’s take a closer look:

Many of the SDGs are a direct call for social equity and social justice, including:

#1 – No poverty
#2 – Zero hunger
#3 – Good health and well-being
#4 – Quality education
#5 – Gender equality
#6 – Clean water and sanitation
#7 – Affordable and clean energy
#8 – Decent work and economic growth
#10 – Reduced inequalities

Some of these are quite straightforward, stating directly that no one should live in poverty, go hungry, or lack access to healthcare or education. Further to this, everyone should have access to clean water and sanitation, affordable energy, and fair work. SDGs #5 and #10 address reducing inequality directly.

Other SDGs are necessary to support the health and well-being of all people and communities:

#9 – Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
#11 – Sustainable cities and communities
#12 – Responsible consumption and production
#13 – Climate action
#14 – Life below water
#15 – Life on land
#16 – Peace, justice, and strong institutions

These SDGs connect in various ways to supporting the goals of those outlined above, essentially contributing to the development of strong, healthy communities that support equal access for all to the basic needs of a healthy human life.

Finally, SDG #17, Partnerships for the goals, captures the need for cooperation, long-term thinking and planning, and an inclusive, wide lens on addressing sustainability and social justice issues.

Learn more about the SDGs

Focus on: Climate justice

What is climate justice?

Climate justice is a specific field of social justice that looks at climate-related expressions of racism and inequality and calls for changes in the structures that cause these problems. Climate justice recognizes that those least responsible for climate change, like Indigenous people and the global poor, are also those who are most vulnerable to its effects.

How can we achieve climate justice?

From discussions by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), climate justice is only likely to be achieved when industrialized countries:

Fully acknowledge the costs and victim of climate change.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Provide financial support for the most vulnerable countries to pursue low carbon development strategies.
Ensure knowledge transfer, especially to poorer countries.
Reinforce human rights.
Hold corporations and industries accountable.

“Climate change is a result of the greatest market failure the world has seen. Those who damage others by emitting greenhouse gases generally do not pay.”

- Lord Nicholas Stern, professor at London School of Economics, past chief economist for the World Bank

Social justice and sustainability: Exploration activity

Do the activity now

Once you have completed the activity, consider the following questions:

How did the situation impact (either positively or negatively) different SDGs?

Would you support the development of the mine within the described community? Why or why not?

Supporting sustainability & social justice

There are many organizations across the globe and here in Canada that are dedicated to sustainability and social justice. Just a few have been listed along with their descriptions of who they are. Take a few minutes to visit a few of the sites to learn more about the work being done and how you can get involved.

International

Post Carbon Institute

“Founded in 2003, Post Carbon Institute’s mission is to lead the transition to a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable world by providing individuals and communities with the resources needed to understand and respond to the interrelated ecological, economic, energy, and equity crises of the 21st century. Post Carbon Institute provides individuals and communities with the resources needed to understand and respond to the interrelated ecological, economic, energy, and equity crises of the 21st century. We help build resilience to withstand these crises, and support social and cultural change to make society more ready to take decisive and appropriate action.”

350

“350.org was founded in 2008 by a group of university friends in the United States along with author Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the first books on global warming for the general public. The goal was to build a global climate movement. 350 was named after 350 parts per million – the safe concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 350 quickly became a planet-wide collaboration of organizers, community groups and regular people fighting for a fossil free future.”

Indigenous Environmental Network

“Established in 1990 within the United States, IEN was formed by grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals to address environmental and economic justice issues (EJ). IEN’s activities include building the capacity of Indigenous communities and tribal governments to develop mechanisms to protect our sacred sites, land, water, air, natural resources, health of both our people and all living things, and to build economically sustainable communities. IEN accomplishes this by maintaining an informational clearinghouse, organizing campaigns, direct actions and public awareness, building the capacity of community and tribes to address EJ issues, development of initiatives to impact policy, and building alliances among Indigenous communities, tribes, inter-tribal and Indigenous organizations, people-of-color/ethnic organizations, faith-based and women groups, youth, labor, environmental organizations and others. IEN convenes local, regional and national meetings on environmental and economic justice issues, and provides support, resources and referral to Indigenous communities and youth throughout primarily North America – and in recent years – globally."

Canada

Ecojustice

“Ecojustice acts on the simple idea that effective laws can protect the planet and hold those in power to account. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, we help people like you take governments and polluters to court; expose illegal practices; and shape new laws to meet the urgency of the climate and ecological crises. For more than 30 years, Ecojustice lawyers have represented Indigenous communities, grassroots activists, and everyday Canadians – free of charge.”

Environmental Defence

“Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities. For over 35 years, Environmental Defence has worked at the municipal, provincial and federal level to safeguard our freshwater, create livable communities, decrease Canadians’ exposure to toxic chemicals, end plastic pollution, tackle climate change and build a clean economy.”

MiningWatch Canada

“MiningWatch Canada works in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous communities who are dealing with potential or actual industrial mining operations that affect their lives and territories, or with the legacy of closed mines, as well as with mineworkers and former workers seeking safe working conditions and fair treatment. MiningWatch Canada explicitly values the experience and knowledge of Indigenous peoples, mining-affected communities, and workers, and bases its work on mutual learning and participatory, deliberative and transformative methodologies.”

“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth … these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.”

- Ban Ki-moon, Eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations (2007-2016)

Reflection

Please take a few minutes to write and answer the provided reflection questions. A good response is usually a minimum of five sentences.

We strongly recommend that you:

Keep a reflection notebook, log, or journal, and save a copy of your reflection in it.
Share and discuss your response with others.
If you are completing this module as part of a class or workshop, you will likely be discussing your reflection as part of a group activity.

If you are completing this module alone, try finding a group of interested friends or colleagues to discuss your reflections with.

1. Based on the content in this module and any previous experiences or knowledge you have about sustainability and social justice, what are your thoughts and feelings about this topic?

2. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) claims that there is “No sustainability without justice”. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Conclusion

In this module, we looked at the connection between sustainability and social justice. We considered the role of social equity and social justice in sustainability and looked at how each of the UN SDGs connects to social justice issues. We then introduced the growing area of climate justice. In a perspective-taking activity, you considered some of the potential impacts of a mine opening in a small community through the lens of social justice and the environment. You then explored several organizations dedicated to sustainability and social justice and took some time to reflect on your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to sustainability and social justice.

Sustainability & Social Justice

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Marginalized groups and identities

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Key definitions

The role of social equity and social justice in sustainability

Focus on: Climate justice

What is climate justice?

How can we achieve climate justice?

Social justice and sustainability: Exploration activity

Supporting sustainability & social justice

International

Canada

Reflection

Conclusion

Resources