Balancing Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice in Climate Action

The Global Empowerment Meeting is Harvard University's Center for International Development’s flagship event - housed at the Kennedy School of Government -- that brings together experts and practitioners from different fields and sectors to share insights and develop action-focused strategies for global development challenges. This year’s theme is?Growing in a Green World, and it will explore different dimensions of climate change, with a particular lens on both the challenges and opportunities emerging from developing countries. Feature speakers, panelists, and faculty anchors from Harvard University and other institutions will discuss topics such as:

• How to balance environmental sustainability and social justice in climate action?

To get a head start so that I am prepared to learn from the expert speakers and panelists, as an advisory board member at #Elsevier , which helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society, I turned to their vast resources including award-winning publications and top-rate scientific journals. So, it was there, Elsevier's cornucopia of scientific studies, journals and publications that I sought to find an answer to the question presented: How to balance environmental sustainability and social justice in climate action. Here is what I learned and now share with you for your consideration and comments.

There is widespread scientific consensus that climate change poses an urgent threat to humanity. However, the consequences of climate change and actions to address it can have serious implications for human rights and social justice, especially for marginalized groups. It is critical that strategies for environmental sustainability and efforts to curb climate change also uphold principles of equity and justice.

According to recent studies, climate change is linked to environmental and health issues that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, such as?sea level rise, water scarcity, vector-borne diseases, and malnutrition. These effects undermine basic human rights to life, health, food, water, and security. Adaptation and?mitigation policies?must safeguard these rights and avoid exacerbating problems for at-risk groups. A human rights-based approach recognizes that human rights and environmental protection are interdependent. It aims to address the root causes of climate change, like poverty, inequality and discrimination, while empowering people to advocate for their rights.

Psychological barriers, including?negativity bias,?evolutionary biases, denial and overwhelm, can hinder motivation for collective action on climate change. Framing climate change as an issue of health justice, social justice, and?environmental justice?may help overcome these obstacles by highlighting our shared interests in a sustainable future. When people understand climate change as a threat to public health and social wellbeing, not just the environment, they may feel a greater sense of urgency and responsibility to act.

For climate action to be truly just and sustainable, it must embrace principles of equity, cooperation, and?shared responsibility?across borders and generations. The OHCHR promotes rights-based climate action by providing guidance on?human rights obligations?in climate efforts and organizing discussions on climate change and human rights. The?UN Environment Management Group?advocates ambitious action to address the human rights harms of climate change, ensure a?just transition, and improve participation and accountability in?climate governance. Practical guidance on applying a human rights-based approach includes promoting clean energy, forest conservation,?resettlement schemes?and conducting human rights impact assessments.

A fair solution demands that all actors do their part to curb emissions and support those disproportionately impacted based on their level of responsibility and capacity. Policymakers and leaders have an obligation to make decisions that safeguard the rights of both present and future generations to live in a habitable world.

Balancing environmental and social priorities requires recognizing our interdependence and shared stake in overcoming this existential crisis together as a global community. With open minds, compassion for others, and a commitment to justice, we can rise to meet this moment by forging a sustainable future for people and planet alike. Overall, we must understand that there can be no #environmentaljustice without #socialjustice , and no social justice without a #liveableclimate and #healthyplanet .

Here are the full citations for the publications I mentioned:

1 ?Levy BS & Patz JA (2015). Climate Change, Human Rights, and Social Justice. Annals of Global Health 81(3): 310-322. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26615065/

2 ?Rouf K & Wainwright T (2020). Linking health justice, social justice, and climate justice. The Lancet Planetary Health 4(4): e131-e132. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(20)30083-8/fulltext or https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340957179_Linking_health_justice_social_justice_and_climate_justice