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Presentation short abstract

This study synthesizes theoretical and empirical insights on how distant discursive power shapes local justice in conservation. A scoping review and six global case studies show how distant dominant narratives, values and knowledge systems generate site-level injustices.

Presentation long abstract

The urgency for a renewed ethos and praxis for biodiversity conservation is evident. Yet, despite growing attention to justice in conservation, there remains limited synthesis of how distant discursive power shapes site-level experiences of (in)justice. This paper addresses this gap by drawing on both theoretical and empirical insights informed by a discursive telecoupling lens. First, we conduct a scoping review to examine the breadth of theoretical and empirical evidence on discursive power in conservation, with particular attention to its justice implications through a telecoupling lens. Second, we draw on empirical material from six case studies across the Global South (Brazil, Lao PDR, South Africa) and the Global North (Sweden, Germany, Spain). Results illustrate how values, knowledge systems, and dominant narratives are constructed, legitimised, and circulated across spatial distances, and how these discourses filter into on-the-ground conservation regimes. Across the diverse body of literature reviewed and the case studies analysed, distant discursive power emerges as a key mechanism shaping which perspectives are prioritised or marginalised, influencing both the framing of conservation interventions and local perceptions of injustice. By consolidating theoretical and empirical insights, this study outlines the implications of discursive power for conservation policy and practice and highlights persistent knowledge gaps. Ultimately, the analysis underscores the need to confront entrenched discursive asymmetries, rooted in colonial and capitalist legacies, to support more equitable, inclusive, and contextually grounded conservation futures.