In social inquiry, is it possible to integrate the concept of “environmental justice” into the social reality, transcending its abstract idealism and embedding it within the fabric of everyday life? If we regard the “social” as “ontology”—that is, as the foundational and speculative presuppositions that resist examination and revision—we risk conflating ontology with idealism. Such a perspective reduces environmental justice to an abstract notion, detaching it from its transformative potential. Originating in the 1980s in the United States of America (U.S.), the concept bridges theoretical inquiry and practical application, highlights global issues related to pollution and sustainability, and fosters greater awareness of environmental inequalities (Ali and Kamraju 2023). While environmental justice typically focuses on economic and political factors, it also considers social, cultural, and health- dimensions. Moreover, as a substantial discourse within social movements, environmental justice influences the climate justice globally by emphasizing the on-the-ground impacts, community voices, and the fight against inequity (Gonzalez et al. 2021).