Climate Change and Animal Ethics

Climate change raises urgent questions of justice. Yet nonhuman animals remain an extremely neglected group within dominant climate justice frameworks, despite being among the most vulnerable to climate-related harms. Habitat loss, extreme weather events, ecosystem disruption, ocean acidification, and biodiversity collapse due to climate change profoundly affect wild and domesticated animals alike.

While philosophical discussions on climate justice have grown substantially over the past decade, they have largely focused on duties owed to present and future human populations. By contrast, comparatively little attention has been given to the moral responsibilities humans bear toward animals in the context of climate change. Few recent studies have started to investigate the ethical implications of mitigation and adaptation policies, but many open questions remain. Moreover, a significant gap concerns duties owed to animals in situations of Loss and Damage (L&D) — particularly where mitigation and adaptation measures prove insufficient to prevent serious and irreversible harm.

As climate impacts intensify year after year, and as animal vulnerability becomes increasingly evident, especially in wild environments, it is crucial to clarify the ethical frameworks guiding our responsibilities toward non-human beings.

This two-day workshop at the University of Fribourg aims to bring together researchers from different institutions working on climate change and animal ethics. The meeting seeks to foster scholarly exchange on ongoing and future research projects; identify conceptual and practical challenges in the field; encourage networking and new collaborations; and explore potential synergies in research and teaching initiatives.

The workshop will provide a focused environment for in-depth discussion and collective reflection on emerging questions at the intersection of climate ethics and animal ethics.

Organizers:

• Gabrielle Tabares Fagundez
• Angela Martin
• Ivo Wallimann-Helmer
• Miriam Zemanova

Call for Contributions

We invite junior and senior researchers working on topics related to Climate Change and Animal Ethics to submit an abstract for presentation at the workshop.

Submission Guidelines

• Abstract length: max. 500 words (blinded for review)
• Presentation length: 15–25 minutes, followed by discussion
• Format: Presentations may focus on ongoing projects, future research, or both
• Submission deadline: 20 March 2026

Please submit your abstract by completing the online form available on the following website: https://www.unifr.ch/env/de/info/workshop-climate-change-and-animal-ethics.html