At PICS, we believe that climate justice is inseparable from the struggle for liberation and sovereignty for all peoples. The fight for climate justice is inextricably connected with the fight against colonialism, capitalism, and militarism. Extraction and exploitation are endogenous to these systems – subjugating planet and people alike. Our research departs from the reality of this interconnectedness and seeks to expose these structures and connections therein.
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Palestine, as both an empirical and theoretical case, represents the intersection of these global climate and liberation struggles. Energy and fossil fuels, natural resource extraction, environmental devastation, and global governance structures are all tools used by Israel and its allies to sustain power and control in Palestine and across the world.

As such, at the core of our institute is justice-driven, transformative research rooted in Indigenous knowledge, grassroots resistance, and international solidarity. By collaborating with local and global scholars, activists, and grassroots movements, we seek to bridge the gap between lived realities and global climate politics, working towards a liberated, self-determined future with lasting ecological and climate resilience. This research lays the foundation for our advocacy, equipping allies with tools to amplify their impact and push for systemic reforms.

We have four main research themes: Energy Geopolitics, Imperialism, and Governance; Natural Resources and Political Ecology; Decolonizing Legal Frameworks and Global Governance; and Liberation, Reconstruction, and Just Futures.