Special Statement On Race and GEP, and Call For Forums

The editorial team at Global Environmental Politics supports the Black Lives Matter movement and efforts to dismantle structural racism. We are filled with horror and outrage at the murder of George Floyd. We stand in solidarity with those bravely pursuing justice in this time of crisis and those who have long labored for it across the globe.

At the same time, we acknowledge that we as scholars and editors are embedded in a system that has benefited from, and perpetuates, this structural racism. Further, systemic racism, injustice, and inequity are inherent in the areas of concern to the GEP community. In many places, environmental defenders, many from communities already subject to structural violence and racism, face daily violence, harassment, and death from armed groups, militaries, and extractive industries in their actions to defend their land and the environment. Environmental harms similarly disproportionally fall on these communities. Exposing and eradicating these forces is intrinsic to understanding and taking action on climate change, environmental governance, and sustainability.

We commit to amplifying the voices and work of people of color and marginalized communities by increasing publication opportunities for such scholars and expanding the focus of topics considered under the umbrella of global environmental politics.

As part of our commitment to addressing structural racism in the field of global environmental politics, we would like to invite forum submissions on race, racism and global environmental politics. We would welcome a wide range of forum pieces that explore race and racism in the practice, analysis, and lived experience of scholars of global environmental politics. As a reminder, forum articles comprise short commentaries (2000-3000 words, including footnotes and bibliography) that should stimulate discussion on salient issues of interest to other scholars in the field. The aim of these articles is to provoke thought, discussion, and debate amongst the readership. Articles for the Forum section typically receive two single-blind reviews. We especially encourage junior scholars and Phd students to submit. We of course always welcome research article submissions on these topics as well.