Ensuring Climate Justice: A Pressing Global Issue

The wealthiest 1 per cent have emitted over twice as much carbon from 1990 to 2015 than the poorest half of humanity, according to a 2020 report by Oxfam and the Stockholm Environment Institute. Each American contributes, on average, 16 tons of CO2 every year. This is 8 times more than an average Indian, 50 times more than a Kenyan, and 56 times higher compared to a Nepali. 

The US is just 4 per cent of the world's population, yet somehow, they've spewed 20 per cent of carbon emissions since 1850. In contrast, the bottom half of all people globally with low incomes together only contribute 20 per cent of global carbon emissions and use just 5 per cent of total energy, yet they bear the brunt of climate change at most.  

Since 1970, climate-related disasters, such as storms, droughts, and floods, have killed 2 million people, with 91 per cent of these deaths occurring in developing countries. The frequency of natural disasters has increased fivefold over the past 50 years, and the damage has grown sevenfold. This shows that while wealthy countries have historically contributed to climate change, the current damage and suffering are mostly felt by poorer nations.

As global warming continues, the situation is expected to worsen, leading to significant economic, physical, and humanitarian losses in developing countries. This situation highlights the unfairness where those who cause climate change are different from those who suffer the most. There is growing international voice for treating climate change and environmental damage as serious offence, and addressing climate justice is becoming an urgent and unavoidable issue.

What is climate justice?

Climate justice refers to ensuring fairness in how we handle the impacts of climate change and share the responsibility for addressing it. This means distributing both the negative effects and the efforts to combat climate change in a just and equitable manner. It involves considering factors such as the historical responsibilities of nations, differences in climate vulnerability, economic impacts, human rights, and global interdependence.

Climate justice frames climate change and global warming as moral and political issues, not just environmental or physical ones. It recognises that the adverse effects of climate change; economic, social, health-related, and otherwise, are often more severe for marginalised communities compared to others. This concept understands that the impacts of climate change vary depending on a country’s or community’s capacity and vulnerability, and it emphasizes the need to hold the nations most responsible accountable.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, with long-term effects on the environment, economy, and society. While its negative impacts are global, the most significant burdens fall on vulnerable countries and marginalised communities. Thus, climate justice is crucial for addressing these disparities, creating a more equitable and sustainable world, and promoting global cooperation and a low-carbon economy to protect both the planet and its most vulnerable inhabitants.

Concerns of the Third World

Those who suffer most from climate change often contribute the least to its causes. The severe impacts faced by the Third World are largely due to historical emissions from industrialised nations, which have significantly contributed to global warming. For the least developed and developing countries in Asia and Africa, climate change is proving to be a severe problem. Despite contributing minimal greenhouse gas emissions, these countries are among the first to experience the negative effects of climate change and lack the resources and capacity to handle them. 

Factors like geography, environmental conditions, poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to technology make developing regions highly vulnerable. Island nations face the risk of disappearing due to rising sea levels, while agriculture-dependent economies struggle with erratic weather and changing rainfall patterns. Agricultural communities face food insecurity and damage to their livelihoods from crop failures. 

In mountainous countries like Nepal, climate change is causing glacier melting, flash floods, landslides, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, water scarcity, and increased disease outbreaks. Poor countries lack the financial resources to cope with climate-related disasters, so global solidarity is needed to provide financial and technical support for sustainable development and climate adaptation and mitigation. Adequate resources, investment, and technology transfer are crucial for building climate resilience and addressing inequalities.

Climate change also poses a human rights issue, challenging rights to life, health, food, and water. The most vulnerable communities, including indigenous people, women, and children, are disproportionately affected. Climate justice is necessary to address the root causes of climate change and its impacts while promoting human rights and ensuring a dignified and sustainable future for all.

Because climate change transcends national boundaries and its effects are pervasive, managing it requires global attention and cooperation. Climate justice is essential in this context. It involves addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities, ensuring fair access to opportunities and resources, and promoting sustainable and just policies.

International climate negotiations and agreements should prioritise the needs and interests of developing countries, providing them with adequate financial and technical support for climate adaptation and mitigation. Developed countries should transfer clean, sustainable, and climate-friendly technologies and practices to help Third World countries build their adaptation and resilience capacities. Knowledge sharing and cooperation among developing countries are also crucial for enhancing climate adaptation. Countries at high risk and those suffering damage need easy and sufficient access to climate finance for implementing their climate action plans.

 Promoting sustainable development in developing countries includes integrating climate change into development plans, programs, and policies, supporting sustainable agriculture, renewable energy projects, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Additionally, recognising and utilising the traditional knowledge and expertise of indigenous communities in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts is essential. 

Ensuring access to health, education, social security, and infrastructure for marginalised populations also enhances their resilience and protects their fundamental human rights. Community involvement in decision-making, representation in policy discussions, and access to resources and information are crucial.

Making justice a reality

To make climate justice a reality, wealthy countries must acknowledge their historical role in climate change and prioritise the needs and aspirations of Third World countries in international climate efforts. Climate justice should ensure that wealthy countries fulfill their historical responsibilities, eliminate inequalities imposed on vulnerable nations, and build capacity for climate adaptation and mitigation. 

Through global interdependence, cooperation, technology transfer, and financial support, climate justice can be achieved, safeguarding the future of all nations and communities.

(The author is a government officer and environmental scholar. ecologist.aryal@gmail.com)