Open Access Week

How Open Access Promotes Climate Justice

Open access promotes climate justice in a variety of ways. Certainly, it’s the key to solving environmental problems strategically. Let’s take a look at how it works.

Open Access Week

Open Access Week was established in 2008. It’s an annual event that involves sharing information about open access and its benefits.

Each year has a different theme. Importantly, the themes encourage us to focus on specific aspects of open access that make it a positive influence. For example, past themes include ‘Generation Open’ and ‘Open in Action’. This year, the theme is ‘Open for Climate Justice’.

In this article, we’ll provide a brief overview of this year’s climate justice theme. Above all, what makes academic research the ideal tool for promoting climate justice?

Open Access and Climate Justice

Climate justice requires us to take a strong protective stance against environmental damage. It means reducing fossil fuel consumption, as well as consumption in general. In addition, we need to be more mindful of how climate change will affect different people in society. That is to say, those with fewer means and more time ahead of them are more at risk.

However, research can help to curb these effects. Scientific research involves investigating issues and finding out more about the world around us.

Getting this information out there helps to further research’s impact. In other words, research so easily accessible creates a domino effect leading to more and more research in the public realm.

Open access overlaps with climate justice in a few ways.

  • Impact

It’s the most impactful way of disseminating research. This is because it greatly increases the potential for future research. Consequently, the release of research on climate justice is dramatically accelerated.

  • Freedom

Research is powered by a strong desire for a world free from the shackles of pollution. This is perfectly paired with open access, as both have the same element of liberty.

  • Community

The academic community is a group that can do their bit for the larger community. In short, by conducting climate research, academics can act to save the Earth for everyone.

Climate Research at MDPI

Moreover, in our own journals, we publish many environment-based papers.

For instance, three of our journals, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), Environments, and Sustainability, publish research that includes the following:

  • Global health
  • Climate change
  • Biosafety
  • Environmental impact
  • Conservation
  • Environmental science and engineering

These journals provide a space for climate researchers to share their ideas in one focussed area.

Being open access, all of our journals encourage the faster sharing of research. Importantly, they do this by publishing manuscripts online without barriers.

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