What is climate justice?
Climate justice isn't just about addressing climate change, but about doing so in a way that recognizes the unfair distribution of its impacts. As Elizabeth Wathuti, a Kenyan activist, explains, it's about prioritizing the needs of frontline communities, those disproportionately affected by climate disasters despite contributing least to the problem.
Nations in the global South bear the brunt
From hurricanes and floods to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, many nations in the Global South face the harshest consequences of climate change. These nations, often poorly equipped to handle such disasters, bear little responsibility for the carbon emissions that caused them.
Small island developing states face existential threats
For some, like small island developing states, the threat is even more immediate. With minimal historical emissions, they stand on the frontlines of rising sea levels, their very existence threatened.
The global movement for climate justice
Climate justice is the rallying cry for a global movement fighting to protect these vulnerable communities. This fight involves:
- Challenging the financial and political structures that perpetuate environmental injustice.
- Actively opposing practices that harm the environment and contribute to climate change.
- Pressuring developed countries to fulfill their responsibility in reducing emissions.
- Ensuring financial support for vulnerable nations struggling to adapt to and mitigate climate impacts.
The World Economic Forum's Centre for Nature and Climate provides a platform for accelerating progress towards a net-zero, nature-positive future. This platform can be instrumental in mobilizing resources and driving collective action towards achieving climate justice.
Learn more about Climate Justice.
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Fernando J. Gómez and Elia Tziambazis
December 20, 2024
