The French Case for Climate Justice in the Caribbean

From Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, Hurricane Dorian in 2019, and Tropical Storm Elsa in 2021, Caribbean islands have faced environmental disasters that are becoming more frequent and intense because of climate change. Though climate change is a global phenomenon, its impacts are not being felt equitably nor does every country, such as the small island developing states of the Caribbean, have the necessary resources to adequately respond to its challenges. Moreover, select Caribbean countries which belong to the Outermost Regions of the European Union are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts due to the limitations of this post-colonial institutional arrangement on their ability to access global financing instruments for their climate adaptation needs.

The goal of this paper is to therefore offer initial research regarding potential multi-scalar approaches to climate adaptation planning and implementation for non-sovereign countries in the region, starting with the French Caribbean. By evaluating the territorial fractures between mainland France and its overseas regions – the majority of which are in the Caribbean region – the paper serves as a preliminary basis for an eventual study examining political economic considerations for climate adaptation in non-sovereign Caribbean countries, like Guadeloupe and Martinique, through a climate justice lens.