Civil society narratives of climate justice: subjects, causes, and solutions

In response to perceived failures of formal climate processes, civil society actors have increasingly turned to protest, advocacy, and digital media to promote justice-centric framings of climate action, commonly articulated as climate justice Although climate justice has mobilized millions worldwide, the concept remains contested and diversely interpreted, encompassing multidimensional claims of justice. At the same time, civil society voices, particularly those most affected by climate change, remain marginalized in global climate discourse and policymaking. This study examines how civil society organizations (CSOs) within the Climate Action Network narrate climate justice. Using structural narrative analysis, it analyzes how CSOs construct the subjects of climate injustice, its perceived root causes, and proposed solutions. The findings identify three recurring solution orientations: listening, correcting, and redesigning, through which CSOs frame climate justice as a redistribution of voice, accountability, and transformation. The study shows how climate justice storytelling functions as an iterative process of communicative justice, highlighting the role of communication in shaping how climate injustice and justice claims are understood.