From Paris to practice: a knowledge-mapping to climate justice research in developed and developing countries

Karimi, V., Keshavarz, M., Karami, E., Ahmadifard, E., Azadi, H., & Yazdanpanah, M. (2026). From Paris to practice: a knowledge-mapping to climate justice research in developed and developing countries. Climatic Change 179 (2) 10.1007/s10584-026-04116-5.

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Abstract

Climate justice has emerged as a central concern in global climate governance, yet the production, visibility, and conceptual framing of related scholarship remain uneven across world regions. This study presents a large-scale comparative bibliometric and qualitative analysis of climate-justice research in developed and developing countries from 2004 to 2024. Using Scopus and the Web of Science, we identified 1628 records and retained 757 publications after systematic screening. Performance indicators, keyword co-occurrence networks, and qualitative thematic analysis were employed to map the field's intellectual structure and evolution. Publication activity increased sharply following major policy milestones-particularly COP15 and the Paris Agreement-reflecting shifts in international discourse and funding priorities. Research from developed countries (566 publications) predominantly centers on distributive justice, carbon governance, and policy integration, supported by strong research infrastructures. In contrast, scholarship from developing countries (191 publications) emphasizes vulnerability, adaptation, procedural justice, and historical responsibility, shaped by lived climate risks and diverse epistemological traditions. Persistent disparities in publication and citation patterns reveal structural inequities linked to language dominance, database coverage biases, and unequal access to high-impact journals. To interpret these patterns, the study introduces a reflexive heuristic framework that illustrates how justice concerns are articulated-or marginalized-across different governance contexts. The findings underscore the need for more inclusive research infrastructures, expanded open-access publishing, and equitable North-South collaborations that recognize and support diverse knowledge systems. By integrating bibliometric mapping with qualitative interpretation, this research advances a more critical, context-sensitive understanding of global climate-justice scholarship and highlights the urgency of strengthening research capacity and epistemic inclusion, particularly in the Global South.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Climate change, Governance, Bibliometric analysis, Environmental justice, Leadership
Research Programs:	Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) > Cooperation and Transformative Governance (CAT)
Depositing User:	Luke Kirwan
Date Deposited:	09 Feb 2026 09:20
Last Modified:	09 Feb 2026 09:20
URI:	https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/21305

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