Advancing Planetary Health Through Interspecies Justice: A Rapid Review

Planetary health definitions are clear about advancing human well-being, aiming for the highest standard of health worldwide. Planetary health recognizes human health is dependent on natural systems; however, framing human health as the central consideration of planetary health may risk rendering invisible the non-human species that are central to the viability of ecosystem services and human survival. This review seeks to discover and describe opportunities for advancing discourses on planetary health justice through exploration of the interspecies justice literature. This rapid review of forty-three articles asks the following: how does health arise in interspecies justice literature and how can interspecies justice advance broader conceptualizations of justice in planetary health? Results suggest opportunities for epistemological expansion within planetary health to include consideration of other species, ecosystems, and relationships between them. Examining what health is for more-than-humans, reflecting on how we understand these interdependencies, and advocating for decolonizing planetary health study and practice are critical to growing planetary health justice.