‘Nuestro Green New Deal’: the Ecosocial Pact of the South and the emergence of biocentric green transitions

Abstract

This paper deals with the vocabulary of sustainability born in the struggles against extractivism in Latin America and the Caribbean, by focussing on the Pacto Ecosocial e Intercultural del Sur/Ecosocial and Intercultural Pact of the South – an initiative launched in 2020 by a group of critical scholars and activists. In the era of Green New Deals, the Pact calls for a socially conscious green transition benefiting the many. The article shows that the Pact is a counter-hegemonic proposal with a strong biocentric component.

Keywords:

• Biocentrism
• Ecosocial Pact of the South
• extractivism
• Global South
• Green New Deal
• green transitions

Acknowledgements

The paper would not have been possible without the hope inspired by those who, from the Ecosocial Pact of the South, envision new ways of knowing and being in this socio-ecological crisis. I am grateful for all the kindness and help I’ve received from the editorial team of Third World Quarterly and for the comments, advice, and feed-back that two anonymous reviewers shared with me. For their care, emotional labour, and proofreading I am indebted to my partner, Gabriel, and my sister, Raluca.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ioana Pantilimon

Ioana Pantilimon is a PhD candidate at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, Romania. Her research interests revolve around the production and circulation of norms in/between the Global North and the Global South, global socio-ecological and epistemic justice.