Joan Martínez-Alier

The Catalan researcher in environmental justice Joan Martínez-Alier He was awarded the Holberg Prize 2023Established by the Norwegian parliament, it is one of the most prestigious international research awards given for outstanding contributions to research in the humanities, social sciences, law or theology.

Joan Martinez-Alier, founding member of CLACSO Working Group Political ecologies from the South/Abya-YalaHe is an emeritus professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and receives the award for his pioneering research in ecological economics, political ecology, and environmental justice. He is known for his critique of established economic theory and traditional perspectives on economic growth.

“The aim of my research is to show that economic growth and changes in the flow of energy and materials in the economy, on the one hand, and the growing number of environmental injustices, on the other, are two sides of the same coin,” says the laureate. “My main purpose is to make visible the many environmental conflicts around the world.”

Martínez-Alier is co-director of the Atlas of Environmental Justice, which to date has documented nearly 4.000 social conflicts caused by environmental degradation or the unequal distribution of environmental resources. The Atlas aims to raise awareness of environmental conflicts, highlight government repression against environmentalists, and facilitate research into the "corporate social irresponsibility" of transnational corporations.

Declaration of the CLACSO Working Group Political Ecologies from the South/Abya-Yala

Presentation by Joan Martínez-Alier at the VII Conference of Social Sciences – Medellín, CLACSO 2015

Interview with Joan Martínez-Alier: “We need ecologists who dare to talk about social issues” (2015)