Fossil modernity and climate atrocity

Modern infrastructures, lifestyles, and thought patterns are deeply intertwined with fossil fuel consumption. Yet, this pervasive reliance drives unsustainable greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in the deliberate and systematic infliction of large-scale violence upon civilian populations—an outcome that aligns with the broader definition of mass atrocity. While climate violence markedly differs from traditionally recognized categories of mass atrocity such as genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes, the concept of atrocity is inherently dynamic, expanding over time to encompass emerging forms of violence previously unacknowledged, such as ethnic cleansing and ecocide. Building on these developments, this paper proposes framing climate harm as a “climate atrocity” and argues that the mass atrocity framework sheds light on the social mechanisms underlying this harm. First, in contrast to ordinary crimes, mass atrocities are typically legitimized through value systems that normalize violence. Climate atrocity follows this pattern: though lacking intent, it is knowingly perpetrated and necessitates justification through various normative systems such as productivism, consumerism, and extractivism. Second, climate atrocity mirrors key social dynamics of modern atrocities, including compartmentalization, diffusion of responsibility, and conformism. However, the systematic integration of greenhouse gas emissions into daily life, coupled with the vast number of actors involved, complicates traditional distinctions between perpetrators and bystanders in unprecedented ways. Finally, climate denial echoes atrocity denial by obfuscating harm and enabling individuals to evade their responsibilities. Nevertheless, climate denial stands out in two ways: it stems from discourses driven by corporate interests, rather than solely by political leaders, and it challenges complex scientific constructs rather than simple facts. Ultimately, the atrocity paradigm provides a compelling analytical framework for understanding the structural foundations of climate harm, revealing both continuities and divergences from historical instances of mass violence.