The climate crisis is deeply entangled with colonial histories of exploitation, extraction and inequality. Drawing on How (Not to) Apologize by Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie, this panel examines colonial continuities in the climate crisis and explores reparative futures.

The wealth and industrial growth of colonial powers were built through the exploitation of people, land, and resources – processes that laid the foundations for today’s climate crisis. The global majority long subjected to colonialism now faces some of the gravest consequences of climate breakdown, despite contributing least to the crisis itself. While climate debate often focuses on mitigation and adaptation, demands for reparations remain at the margins. How do colonial patterns continue to shape the climate crisis today? What political, economic, and social changes are needed to move beyond symbolic gestures? And what role can social movements play in bringing the case for reparations into climate justice debates?

Building on a presentation of the publication How (Not to) Apologize by Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie, this panel opens a space to reflect on colonial continuities, climate justice and reparative futures.

Participants:

Aaron Alexandre Cuyugan works with the Climate Justice Team at Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie.

Majula Jaiteh is a doctoral researcher in international law based in Hamburg. Her work focuses on reparations and redress for German colonial crimes in Namibia and Tanzania.

Leonie Baumgarten-Egemole is a legal trainee and activist working on anti-racism and climate justice.

Moderation: Canê Çağlar is a political educator, moderator, doctoral researcher, and scholar in educational studies.

Fotocredits: Fair Trade Stadt Hamburg