The crisis we are facing today links social and ecological injustice to colonial heritage. For centuries now, it has been common practice for Western countries to dictate to so-called developing countries how to farm their land, construct their buildings, rule their people, manage their economies. Neoliberal political systems inherited from colonisation have an intrinsic role within the climate crisis. But colonisation is not a thing of the past, it lingers on and the power dynamic between countries and their people tend to silence voices and destroy the planet in the process.
In order to be fair and just, the environmental movement needs to acknowledge colonialism, both past and present. It also needs to acknowledge and embrace diversity.
Joycelyn Longdon is a current MRes + PhD candidate on the AI for Environmental Risk program at the University of Cambridge, looking at integrating indigenous knowledge into tech-driven solutions for climate change. She is also the founder of Climate in Colour, a platform at the intersection of climate science and social justice as well as Creative Director at Black on Black Creative.
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