Our actions, as a global community, are the reason the climate is changing, more rapidly than it ever was. While one may look at this as a predominantly environmental issue, the introduction of the concept of ‘Climate Justice’ has led us to realise the problem does not just lie in the environmental realm of things but can also prove to be socially unjust.
What is Climate Justice?
While we realise that climate change is a global phenomenon, climate adversities do not affect all geographies, countries, communities and people uniformly. More often than not, it’s the more vulnerable, financially weaker sections of the global society that are affected more adversely. This led to the introduction of the concept of ‘Climate Justice’, which means finding a way to curb climate change in a way that treats all people and diversities fairly. As per the Mary One Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice, ‘climate justice links human rights and development to achieve a human-centred approach, safeguarding the rights of the most vulnerable and sharing the burdens and benefits of climate change and its resolution equitably and fairly.
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Why is it important?
Equality, in today’s world, has been an ever-growing concern, be it related to gender, race or colour. Bringing light to and supporting the cause that climate justice stands for, would help reduce disparities and cut down the burden of climate change that the less-privileged section of the globe has to bear. For example, Africa, a developing nation that suffers from the risk of undernourishment as well as direct effects of climate change- like droughts, wouldn’t be as equipped to deal with the crisis as an industrialised, developed country would be. A call to action which helps redirect funds as well as resources to communities that need it more than others would be of great importance in such a global scenario.
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The geography of Climate Justice
Nations that have been using fossil fuels from the era of the Industrial revolution of the 19th century, such as the USA and UK, have been emitting toxic gases into the environment for more than ten decades now. In comparison, emerging economies like India, China and Brazil who have recently been seeing a rapid rise in emissions lack the resources to handle the climate crisis they each face- from extreme temperatures to rapidly increasing sea levels leading to land loss in the near future. Similarly, the Republic of Maldives in the Indian Ocean, which majorly depends on tourism as opposed to industries for its economy, is facing the problem of rising sea levels, without having access to enough resources to curb the same. In countries where a majority of the communities are already battling poverty and lack of necessities, environmental protection tends to take a backseat, making this a grave danger for the global climate change scenario. This is where climate justice comes into the picture to create a balance and ease out the pressure where needed.
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Monumental Climate Justice Moments
While climate justice is a fairly newer concept, there have been a few moments in history that have proved the need and importance of it.
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1. November 2000 saw the first Climate Justice Summit take place in The Hague, Netherlands, alongside the UN’s COP6 summit.
2. 2002’s Climate Justice Summit that saw the participation of over 20 countries and 1500 participants including farmers, fish workers, the poor, Indigenous Peoples, Dalits and the youth, drew up the Delhi Climate Justice Declaration that affirmed that ‘climate justice is a rights issue.
3. Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans, the USA in 2005 was tragic yet monumental in bringing light to the disproportional effect climate change had on the African 2American community in the area.
4. The European Commission’s Green Deal, signed in 2020 is set to achieve climate neutrality in the EU by 2050.
5. The Hague District Court’s ruling that oil giant Shell was guilty of human rights violations and needs to reduce its emissions was a recent win in the realm of climate justice
What does Climate Justice have to do with human rights?
Being a cause that demands equality in matters concerning environmental protection, climate justice is more or less in line with the need and purpose of human rights. If anything, climate justice actions are consistent with most of those related to human rights like the right to life, water and sanitation, clean air, food, health, housing, and sustainable development. Thus, by supporting the cause of climate justice, one also supports the need for basic human rights.
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What can you do to help?
Now that you know exactly what climate justice means for the global community, and more importantly, what it means for you and those around you, here’s what YOU can do to help the cause. Here are a few organisations, both Indian and international that help carry out the concept of social justice in their own way. These are some organisations that you can help, in order to lend a hand to make a difference.
• TIDE
Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE) has handled over 250 projects related to climate change in India. One of the most innovative NGOs, they work towards sustainable environments for people by using revolutionary technology. One such example of this is their initiative VidyutRakshaka. It involves includes offering customised electricity-saving recommendations based on observations of their group of volunteers.
• BSS India (Balajee Sewa Sansthan)
Balajee Sewa Sansthan (BSS) has been working towards issues related to awareness and initiatives about hygiene, clean water, sanitisation and inequality among the underprivileged since its inception in 2002. They’ve also helped promote smokeless stoves, solar lanterns as well as a mass tree plantation drive that requires all loan seekers at BSS to plant a sapling.
• BELA (Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association)
What started in 1992 as a small local group advocating environmental justice and conservation issues, is now a non-profit organisation of lawyers that represents the movement for climate justice in less privileged communities.
• (CIEL) Centre for International Environmental Law
CIEL has offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland and was established in 1989 in order to support and bring to light issues related to human rights, environment protection and sustainability. They help by providing legal counsel, research and advocacy in areas related to Climate and Energy, Environmental Health and People, Land, and Resources.
• Namati
Founded in 2012, Namati’s mission is to ‘advance social and environmental justice by building a movement of people’. The organisation works with issues related to land and environmental justice in Kenya, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, India, USA as well as health justice in Mozambique.