Subnational climate justice for the French Outre-mer: postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shift

This paper presents France’s relation to climate change from the perspectives of the French overseas territories: the Outre-mer. Scattered across the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean, these formerly colonized territories are subnational jurisdictions of France. Through examini...

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Main Author: Malcom Ferdinand
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Island Studies Journal 2018-05-01
Series:Island Studies Journal
Subjects:
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author Malcom Ferdinand
author_facet Malcom Ferdinand
author_sort Malcom Ferdinand
collection DOAJ
description This paper presents France’s relation to climate change from the perspectives of the French overseas territories: the Outre-mer. Scattered across the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean, these formerly colonized territories are subnational jurisdictions of France. Through examining their greenhouse gas emissions, their ecological importance, their economic conditions, as well as their policies, I argue that understanding the Outre-mer climate change perspectives demands an epistemic shift characterized by two theoretical gestures. Firstly, the Outre-mer perspectives require moving beyond the single geographical imaginary of France that only represents its European mainland. Contributing very little to France’s greenhouse gas emissions, these territories are particularly exposed and particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, making the case for a subnational climate justice. Secondly, beyond their portrayal as foreign and voiceless victims, the Outre- mer perspectives also recognize the presence of postcolonial subjects as political and historical actors facing climate change, calling forcefully for postcolonial equality and social justice.
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spelling doaj.art-5c18fc6148fc41b99cefdcf8ced7976c2022-12-21T18:41:15ZengIsland Studies JournalIsland Studies Journal1715-25932018-05-0113111913410.24043/isj.49Subnational climate justice for the French Outre-mer: postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shiftMalcom Ferdinand0KITLV/Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies, the NetherlandsThis paper presents France’s relation to climate change from the perspectives of the French overseas territories: the Outre-mer. Scattered across the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean, these formerly colonized territories are subnational jurisdictions of France. Through examining their greenhouse gas emissions, their ecological importance, their economic conditions, as well as their policies, I argue that understanding the Outre-mer climate change perspectives demands an epistemic shift characterized by two theoretical gestures. Firstly, the Outre-mer perspectives require moving beyond the single geographical imaginary of France that only represents its European mainland. Contributing very little to France’s greenhouse gas emissions, these territories are particularly exposed and particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, making the case for a subnational climate justice. Secondly, beyond their portrayal as foreign and voiceless victims, the Outre- mer perspectives also recognize the presence of postcolonial subjects as political and historical actors facing climate change, calling forcefully for postcolonial equality and social justice.climate changeclimate justicefranceoutre-merpostcolonial politicssubnational island jurisdictions (snijs)
spellingShingle Malcom Ferdinand
Subnational climate justice for the French Outre-mer: postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shift
Island Studies Journal
climate change
climate justice
france
outre-mer
postcolonial politics
subnational island jurisdictions (snijs)
title Subnational climate justice for the French Outre-mer: postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shift
title_full Subnational climate justice for the French Outre-mer: postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shift
title_fullStr Subnational climate justice for the French Outre-mer: postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shift
title_full_unstemmed Subnational climate justice for the French Outre-mer: postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shift
title_short Subnational climate justice for the French Outre-mer: postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shift
title_sort subnational climate justice for the french outre mer postcolonial politics and geography of an epistemic shift
topic climate change
climate justice
france
outre-mer
postcolonial politics
subnational island jurisdictions (snijs)
work_keys_str_mv AT malcomferdinand subnationalclimatejusticeforthefrenchoutremerpostcolonialpoliticsandgeographyofanepistemicshift