A review of intersectionality and climate change and the potential of intersectional participatory methods and storytelling to co-produce climate justice

There is a growing recognition of how people’s identities across different axes (gender, race/ethnicity, class, age, ability, sexuality, citizenship) determine how they are affected by climate change (CC) and how some interventions to deal with CC further increase inequalities. This paper reviews existing literature on intersectionality and CC and identifies the need for new climate knowledge based on plural epistemologies. The review recognizes four knowledge gaps to be addressed by intersectional climate research: more understanding and evidence on intersectional impacts of CC; citizen participation in adaptation and mitigation; the development of an intersectional methodology; new theorization. Then, the paper reviews the potential of intersectional participatory methods to address them. It discusses how these methods can be further developed by adapting storytelling, through different art-based approaches. The paper concludes that such methods can help challenge the anthropocentric lens and consider the interests of non-human animals, the planet and future generations. They can provide fresh insights into complex issues grounded in people’s experience, challenge assumptions, and demonstrate new connections between issues, making them crucial to achieve epistemic and climate justice.