In recent years, green colonialism has emerged as a defining feature of contemporary capitalism, particularly within the context of decarbonization efforts and market-oriented approaches aimed at addressing the ecological and climate crises. During the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference, a plethora of tools, mechanisms, and initiatives were presented as ‘solutions’ to the escalating climate and ecological crises, backed by both public and predominantly private actors. These include climate-smart agriculture, carbon offsetting, carbon markets, nature-based solutions, and initiatives such as Reducing Emissions from Forest Degradation and Deforestation (REDD+). However, despite their promotion as ‘solutions’, various frontline communities, civil society organizations, critical scholars, and scientists have denounced these market-based approaches, arguing that they aggravate the polycrises of our times. Despite the rhetoric of decarbonization to achieve “net zero emissions,” these approaches perpetuate the model of unlimited economic growth, exacerbate vulnerabilities and inequalities, and accelerate the destruction of territories, ecosystems, and life itself. This hegemonic decarbonization further reinforces center-periphery or North-South asymmetries and has given rise to what recent studies term as new forms of carbon colonialism, energy colonialism, climate colonialism, or climate coloniality. These concepts elucidate the continuity and perpetuation of colonial relations through hegemonic climate and energy transition policies. However, it is essential to acknowledge that green colonialism is not solely a contemporary phenomenon; its roots extend deep into history.
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