Unpacking climate justice rhetoric: a comparative content analysis of international city networks

Purpose The rising membership and influence of international city networks have positioned cities as important actors in global policy debates on climate change and sustainability. This study aims to clarify how these networks frame and incorporate justice in their climate actions. Design/methodology/approach The study selected four prominent city networks (C40, CityNet, ICLEI and UCLG) and applied a content analysis method to examine how they interpret justice in 64 documents published by them between 2016 and 2022. The documents were analysed from three perspectives: 1) usage of justice terminology, 2) justice dimensions (distributive, participatory or recognition justice); and 3) the contexts. Findings The study found that the framing of justice varied according to the missions and worldviews of the networks. However, except for CityNet, an increased consideration of justice was observed across the networks since the late 2010s. Notably, C40 increasingly emphasised climate justice in its documentation, despite being criticised for its neoliberal orientation towards urban climate policy. Conversely, CityNet, a regional city network of the Asia-Pacific, showed limited usage of justice terminology. Originality/value The findings suggest that justice framings in international city networks carry important implications for urban climate governance by shaping how justice is interpreted and prioritised in climate actions. However, concerns also arise that city networks may promote their own justice interpretations that risk overlooking locally grounded understandings of justice. Furthermore, CityNet’s limited use of justice terminology may reflect different approaches to articulating justice in response to local policy priorities and contexts.