Just Ecosystem Governance: a ‘justice-as-recognition’ framing. A presentation by Adrian Martin University of East Anglia. This presentation was given at the Expert Workshop on Equity, Justice and Well-being in Ecosystem Governance, held at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in London, March, 2015.

1. Just EcosystemJust EcosystemJust EcosystemJust Ecosystem
Governance: aGovernance: aGovernance: aGovernance: a
‘justice‘justice‘justice‘justice----asasasas----
recognition’recognition’recognition’recognition’
framingframingframingframing
IIED 26/3/15IIED 26/3/15IIED 26/3/15IIED 26/3/15
Adrian MartinAdrian MartinAdrian MartinAdrian Martin
University of East AngliaUniversity of East AngliaUniversity of East AngliaUniversity of East Anglia

2. Main points to make
• Environmental justice (EJ) analysis should pay attention to the kind of
claims made in real world EJ struggles
• When we take such an empirical approach, we see that concerns
about recognition are sometimes fundamental
• Recognition needs to be considered in addition to concern about
procedural and distributional justice. In practice the three are
connected.

3. What is recognition?
• Recognition is the language of movements for social identity and
status.
• It is the language of civil rights movements, anti-racism, women’s
suffrage, indigenous rights and so on.
• It is a language of political science and justice used on the left (e.g.
Nancy Fraser) and the right (e.g. Frances Fukuyama)
• The latter interprets the Arab Spring as a response to forms of
domination that have stripped away self-esteem and dignity
• To not be recognised is to be dominated by others; e.g. to be forced
to assimilate to a dominant culture

4. What is the harm done by misrecognition?
• Human wellbeing depends on feelings of self-worth and self-esteem
• But individuals and groups cannot feel self-worth unless it is
recognised by others
• Self-worth and dignity are relational; wellbeing is in part relational
• Recognition might even be conceived as a basic need or essential
capability.
Furthermore, misrecognition underpins other dimensions of
environmental justice. E.g. institutional racism was said to cause the
unjust distribution of toxic sites in the US

5. Examples of Recognition Injustices relevant to EcosystemExamples of Recognition Injustices relevant to EcosystemExamples of Recognition Injustices relevant to EcosystemExamples of Recognition Injustices relevant to Ecosystem
GovernanceGovernanceGovernanceGovernance
Notes: can be against individual or group; and is in practice often intertwined
with material/economic interests.
• Non-recognition - of values/harms. Narrow basis for ES research (e.g. Lele
2013, Forsyth 2015, Schlosberg, 2012…)
• Non-recognition - of interests. Discriminatory application of values. (e.g
Bullard etc)
• Cultural domination - problem and/or justice framing (e.g. Leach et al.,
Martin et al 2013, 2014)
• Cultural domination – coercive assimilation (e.g. take it or leave it
compensation schemes)
• Interactional injustice

6. An empirical and conceptual agenda
(first step towards tools)
• Who/what are the subjects of recognition?
• What are the harms inflicted?
• By what mechanisms are recognition injustices produced and
sustained?
• What are the connections with other dimensions of injustice?
• How do we frame solutions to recognition injustice?
We are at an early stage of understanding calls for recognition in the context of ecosystem governance. These
are some empirical questions we might pose

7. Further reading
• Martin, A., McGuire, S. and Sullivan, S. (2013) Global environmental justice and
biodiversity conservation, Geographical Journal, 179: 122-131
• Sikor, T., Martin, A., Fisher, J. and He, J. (2014) Toward an empirical analysis of
justice in ecosystem governance, Conservation Letters, 7(6), 524-532
• Martin, A., Gross-Camp, N., Kebede, B and McGuire, S. (2014) Whose
environmental justice? Exploring local and global perspectives in a Payments for
Ecosystem Services scheme in Rwanda, Geoforum, 54, 167-177
• Martin, A., Akol, A. and Phillips, J. (2013) Just conservation? On the fairness of
sharing benefits, in Sikor (ed.) the Justices and Injustices of Ecosystem
Management, pp.69-91. Earthscan