Gender equity and care for transformative climate justice

As global climate change is destabilising lives and worsening inequities and disparities in Ireland and around the world (Deubelli & Mechler, 2021; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2022), climate justice is emerging as an urgent global policy priority (Kashwan, 2021; Newell et al., 2021; Robinson, 2018). Climate justice, an approach to climate action that goes beyond the technological emphasis on decarbonisation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, focuses attention on the intersectionality of the social, economic, and institutional changes that link technological change with societal transformation by centring social justice and economic equity (Stephens, 2022; Sultana, 2022). Transformative climate justice recognises that the climate crisis is a horrible symptom of extractive and exploitative systems (Sultana, 2025). A transformative climate justice approach calls for systemic and structural changes acknowledging that the climate crisis is not a scientific problem that can be fixed with technological solutions (Newell et al., 2021). Transformative climate justice also links climate vulnerabilities with the societal risks and geopolitical dangers associated with increased social instability, migration and growing inequities (Harlan et al., 2015; Stephens, 2020). Transformative climate justice embraces a feminist and decolonial approach to redressing the legacy of economic injustices, gender inequities, extractive labour practices, housing insecurity and systems of exploitation that are worsening climate vulnerabilities (Kuhl et al., 2024; Sultana, 2025). Climate justice prioritises trans formative economic investments, social policies and innovative practices that are based on human dignity, equity and care. Climate justice is intentional and explicit on the necessity to disrupt the status quo financial and political systems that continue to marginalise people and communities by concentrating wealth and power among those individuals and organisations that are already privileged (Newell et al., 2021; Schapper, 2018; Sultana, 2022; Whitaker, 2021). The rapidly growing global climate justice movement, based on feminist principles, has been, and continues to be, led by women (Robinson, 2018). Patriarchal systems have reinforced and perpetuated the assumption that investing in technological innovation will enable humanity to control the climate, while minimising the potential of investing in social innovation, social justice and social change. Transformative change requires a collective moving away from these dominant patriarchal discourses toward a feminist and intersectional perspective that integrates care and gender equality. This paper reviews why a feminist climate justice approach focused on gender equity and care is essential for the transformative societal changes that are urgently needed for a more healthy, just and stable future for all. The paper first describes why and how feminist climate justice is a necessary response to climate isolationism. Then, it describes why the integration of care and gender equity into climate policy is fundamental and how care is a feminist concern. Next, examples of intersections of care and climate within the Irish context are provided, followed by a concluding discussion on moving toward transformative climate justice.