Climate change and inequality are two of the biggest societal challenges of our time. And while climate change is affecting us all, its most severe impacts will fall on the world's most vulnerable people. Inequalities based on factors such as gender, race and geography exacerbate risks to people's lives and livelihoods. It also reduces people's opportunities and ability to participate in the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive green economy.
Thus, both climate change and inequality ultimately lead to increased poverty, and to successfully address them, they must be confronted in tandem. In recent years, the idea of climate justice – finding ways to solve problems related to climate change while addressing inequalities – has taken center stage in conversations about climate change in low-income countries. Young people, and among marginalized groups such as Indigenous peoples, people of color, women and girls, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. Furthermore, the importance of climate change was officially recognized in the Paris Agreement in 2015, and it has become the center of international debate on climate change.
All sectors have a role to play in achieving climate justice, but compared to governments and civil society, business has been slow to address climate change and systemic social injustice, and indeed It is no exaggeration to say that it is frequently pointed out that it contributes to . Moreover, companies that have taken action have traditionally treated these as separate issues. However, amid the various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, pressure from investors and consumers, increased political action on climate change, and a growing awareness of the risks associated with inaction, more companies are They are starting to tackle both challenges simultaneously, pushing climate justice up the corporate agenda.
This article series, produced in partnership with the social impact community Business Fights Poverty, explains why climate justice is a critical concern for businesses and how companies can start putting climate justice principles into practice. We explore new solutions from a variety of industries that are starting to take action. action.
