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Journal of Environmental Management

Topical Issue

Social inequality and Climate Change

Guest Editors

Dr. Kuishuang Feng, Associate professor at University of Maryland, College Park. Email: kfeng@umd.edu

Dr. Shaojian Wang, Research fellow at MIT; Associate professor at Sun Yat-sen University, Email:wangshj8@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Dr. Jing Meng, Research Associate at University of Cambridge, Email: jm2218@cam.ac.uk

Dr. Ning Zhang, Professor at Jinan University, Email: zn928@naver.com

Dr. Bin Cheng, Professor at Beijing Normal University, Email: chenb@bnu.edu.cn

Introduction

Social inequality can broadly affect the social and economic sustainability, and the climate change: one of the most severe and critical problems facing the world today. High greenhouse gas emission level, one of the main drives of climate change, is closely related to development inequality, as high population growth rate, rapid economic growth, extensive land use, energy-intensive economic systems, and carbon-intensive energy supplies all contribute to the generation of emissions. Faced with severe and growing social inequalities and climate change, a more complete understanding of interconnection between social inequalities and trigger climate change is clearly needed. In order to develop emissions mitigation measures, we must clarify the mechanisms affecting interactions between climate change and social inequalities. A unifying analytical framework and new methodologies are necessary in the task of addressing the link between climate change and social inequalities. It is, further, vital that research advances beyond a narrow monetary concept of inequality, thereby opening up for a broader understanding of multiple inequalities. Studies are must be undertaken that analyze the impacts of social inequalities on climate change from multi-scalar perspectives and identify possible future pathways that allow for unexpected scenarios. Assessments, further, must be made in relation to the direct impact of climate change on social inequality; and potential trade-offs need to be evaluated in relation to the tasks of reducing vulnerability to climate change, building climate resilience, and enhancing the ability of different population groups to deal with climate hazards. Much work undoubtedly remains to be done. Mitigation efforts to alleviate climate change, as well as adaptation efforts to prepare for and respond to climate change and its impacts, require solid references bases in research and assessment if they are to deal with the current severity of the situation.

Topics

The topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

1) the impact of a wider concept of inequality on climate change;

2) the direct impact of climate change on social inequality;

3) multi-scalar perspectives on the relationship between social inequalities and climate change;

4) the identification of future pathways and trends in relation to climate change;

5) the evaluation of potential trade-offs in decreasing climate hazards; and

6) the task of establishing unified analytical frameworks for climate resilience.

Timeline

May 1, 2019: Open for submission

December 31, 2019: deadline first submission

April 30, 2020: completion first review round

August, 30, 2020: completion of the review and revision process

Submission

1. Submit papers at: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-environmental-management/

2. Then, from the drop-down menu select "VSI: Climate-Social inequality".

About The Journal

The Journal of Environmental Management is a journal for the publication of peer reviewed, original research for all aspects of management and the managed use of the environment, both natural and man-made. As governments and the general public become more keenly aware of the critical issues arising from how humans use their environment, this journal provides a forum for the discussion of environmental problems around the world and for the presentation of management results. It is aimed not only at the environmental manager, but at anyone concerned with the sustainable use of environmental resources.

Impact Factor = 4.005; 5-Year Impact Factor= 4.449.