Towards an ecofeminist theory of inter-generational equity and its application in the climate change context

Inter-generational equity (IGE) could be a powerful normative principle to achieve climate justice for present and future generations of human and nonhuman nature in the activities of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change (FCCC). However, until the FCCC moves beyond the exploitative discourses of ecological modernisation and sustainable development, any policy seeking to address IGE will be unable to reconcile the tensions between present and future generations of humans and nonhuman nature. Using the FCCC’s Gender Action Plan as a focal point, this chapter examines how the climate change regime is seeking to achieve IGE for women and girls. Drawing on ecofeminist philosophy, this chapter argues that rather than recognising the interrelationships between humans and nature, and the necessity to include future generations of nonhuman nature in policy development, the FCCC approaches IGE as an anthropocentric distributive justice issue. This inhibits the normative power of the principle and results in short-sighted and limited policy making that undermines the potential to achieve gender equality for present and future generations.