Climate change disproportionately affects marginalized groups, making climate justice a crucial aspect of climate change communication and advocacy. While the concept is increasingly prominent, limited research exists on public understanding of climate justice and its resonance across diverse populations. This study addresses this gap by investigating public awareness and beliefs regarding climate justice and their relationship to climate action and policy support. Climate justice, rooted in anti-colonial struggles and the US environmental justice movement, blends ecological and social justice concerns, highlighting disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities. Academically, climate justice encompasses distributional, procedural, and recognitional (in)justices related to climate change impacts and responses. Distributional injustice focuses on the uneven distribution of vulnerability and adaptive capacity, often linked to historical oppression and unequal power dynamics. Procedural injustice highlights the underrepresentation of affected communities in decision-making processes. Recognitional injustice involves the failure to acknowledge the rights and interests of marginalized groups. Understanding public opinion on climate justice is crucial for promoting climate action and gaining support for equitable climate policies. Previous research offers insights from Europe and North America, but global perspectives are lacking.

Existing research reveals a limited understanding of climate justice, even among those supportive of its underlying principles. A US study found that two-thirds of Americans were unfamiliar with the term, yet a majority supported the concept when explained. Similarly, UK research highlighted recognition of unequal vulnerability between high- and low-income countries but a lack of understanding regarding racial and class inequalities. A European study of young adults found limited awareness of the connections between climate change and issues like gender or racial inequalities. These studies suggest a need for broader global research to assess public understanding and the generalizability of these findings.

This study employed a global online survey conducted in 2022, reaching 5,627 adults aged 18+ across 11 diverse countries (Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, UAE, UK, and US). The survey included measures of climate justice awareness and knowledge, a Climate Justice Beliefs Index (CJBI) comprising nine statements reflecting key aspects of climate justice (e.g., disproportionate impacts on the poor, need for resource redistribution, role of capitalism and colonialism), measures of climate action (e.g., attending protests, donations), online activism (e.g., signing petitions), private-sphere pro-environmental behaviors (PEB; e.g., energy saving), and support for 'push' climate mitigation policies (e.g., carbon taxes). The survey was translated into multiple languages, and rigorous quality control measures were implemented. Multilevel linear modeling was used to analyze the data, accounting for country-level variations. Psychometric analyses, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, were conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the scales used.

Across all countries, a significant portion of respondents (66.2%) had never heard of climate justice. Awareness was highest in India (56.5%) and lowest in Japan (13.8%). Despite limited awareness, endorsement of climate justice beliefs was widespread. Agreement was highest for statements concerning the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the poor and the need for greater representation of affected communities. Lower agreement was observed for statements addressing gender and racial dimensions of climate injustice. The CJBI demonstrated high reliability and validity across countries. Multilevel modeling revealed significant positive associations between climate justice beliefs and various indicators of climate action, online activism, PEB, and support for just climate policies. However, the strength of these associations varied across countries, being stronger in high-GHG emitting countries like Australia, Brazil, and the US, and weaker in countries like Nigeria and the Philippines. Furthermore, age showed an inverse relationship with climate justice awareness, while education and left-leaning political orientations showed positive associations. Information sources also showed varying patterns of association with climate justice beliefs, with social media and discussions with friends and family demonstrating positive associations.

The findings highlight the significant disconnect between awareness of the term 'climate justice' and widespread endorsement of its underlying principles. This suggests that climate justice messaging may benefit from focusing on the specific beliefs rather than solely emphasizing the term itself. The variation in the strength of associations between climate justice beliefs and climate action across countries is likely influenced by historical emission contributions and the political salience of social inequality. This suggests a need for tailored climate justice communication strategies, taking into account specific national contexts and power dynamics. The finding of stronger associations in high-GHG emitting countries suggests that recognizing historical responsibility may be a key factor in motivating action in these nations. In contrast, the weaker associations in some developing countries may reflect different perceptions of responsibility and the need for context-specific strategies. The study also reveals a political polarization in the endorsement of climate justice beliefs, which needs to be considered when designing climate change communication campaigns.

This study provides compelling evidence for the widespread acceptance of climate justice principles globally, even in the absence of high awareness of the term itself. The strong correlation between these beliefs and various forms of climate action and policy support underscores the critical role of climate justice framing in advancing climate action. Future research should explore the effectiveness of different communication approaches, accounting for national contexts, cultural norms, and political landscape. Additionally, longitudinal studies are crucial to establish causal links between climate justice beliefs and subsequent actions.

The reliance on online surveys may limit the representativeness of the sample, potentially underrepresenting less privileged groups facing higher climate vulnerability. The cross-sectional design restricts causal inference; longitudinal research would strengthen the evidence. The study also doesn't delve into specific nuances of climate justice discourse across diverse geographical contexts.