2026/01/01 by Ayushman Bhagat, Anneleen Kenis · 1 voice
Business, Management and Accounting · Social Sciences · #Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration #Global trade, sustainability, and social impact #Water Governance and Infrastructure
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/anti.70125
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/01/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
ABSTRACT The modern slavery‐climate change nexus is emerging as a trendy topic. It combines two powerful consensus narratives, modern slavery and climate change, and has been uncritically embraced by scholars, charities, campaigners and corporations. In this article, we argue that rather than representing an exciting advancement in society–environment scholarship, the modern slavery‐climate change nexus resurrects the long‐discredited theory of environmental determinism. It absolves the West of its historical responsibilities for labour exploitation and environmental destruction, from which it continues to benefit, while shifting the burden of action to the global majority. By doing that, it provides Western states, corporations and even academics with a convenient storyline which allows them to reinforce neoliberal agendas whilst positioning themselves as saviours, and corporations to continue exploitative practices whilst presenting as ethical.