Urban Climate Justice for Whom? A comparative discourse analysis exploring the concept of climate justice in urban climate strategy action plans.

Abstract: Despite an increased emphasis on the role of cities in reaching the EU's ambitious climate goals, attention has been lacking paid towards climate justice on an urban level. Simultaneously, following international directives, urban adaptation plans are expected to consider climate justice in their approach and acknowledge the effects and benefits of climate action on their most exposed citizens. This research aims to study how and to what extent aspects of climate justice are understood and translated into local climate action strategies. The climate action plans of Budapest, Dublin, and Stockholm are analyzed through a qualitative discourse analysis applying the “What is the problem represented to be?” (WPR) methodological approach exploring the implicit portrayals of climate justice in the documents. Guiding the analysis, the concept of climate justice has been applied by adopting Bulkeley et al. 's (2014) conceptual framework categorizing suggested actions implying climate justice into recognition, distribution and procedural justice. The findings show that urban climate action plans do include implications of climate justice, however, to varying extents and portrayals. Budapest’s and Dublin’s action plan include all three categories and offer a complementary framing of climate justice to different extents. In contrast, in Stockholm’s climate plan, climate justice implications are almost entirely absent.