Climate Justice: Beyond Financial Transactions to Protect the Vulnerable

Climate justice is not merely about financial transactions to protect the environment. It embodies the protection of the most vulnerable in society, following centuries of resource exploitation. African countries disproportionately face the impacts of climate change on their environments, economies, resources, and infrastructure, leading to greater vulnerability and increased exposure to its negative effects. This article highlights the importance of climate justice within the United Nations negotiations and underscores the necessity for concrete action.

The Imperative of Climate Justice

Climate justice must be seen through the lens of protecting those who have historically been marginalized and exploited. African nations, contributing minimally to global emissions, bear the brunt of climate impacts, affecting every sector from health and infrastructure to food, water scarcity, energy, and finance. These sectors are interconnected, and threats in one area trigger a ripple effect across others.

Despite the urgency, the current set of intergovernmental institutions has failed to adequately address climate justice. A siloed approach to climate action has proven ineffective. As we continue to face the repercussions of COP27 and move towards future negotiations, it is crucial that economic and social conditions in Africa are addressed through financial and collaborative support for adaptation and localized solutions, prioritizing climate justice. This requires a global transition in how climate finance is assessed and accessed, underpinning real, effective, and sustainable solutions for climate action in Africa.

The Current Climate Crisis

Global warming has triggered significant changes, including more frequent and intense extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, floods, and tropical cyclones. In 2022, average global temperatures were approximately 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, and we are likely to breach the 1.5°C global target within the next decade. These rising temperatures lead to increased heat stress, worsening heatwaves, and an escalation in wildfires, impacting productivity, health, and livelihoods, particularly in agricultural and construction sectors.

Heat stress and changing rainfall patterns also contribute to rising food prices, exacerbated by global conflicts. Africa, with a large population living in drylands, faces severe impacts on child hunger, population migration, and agriculture. Scientific assessments from the IPCC and other bodies highlight the urgency of curbing emissions and ensuring equitable and sustainable outcomes through future policy developments and interventions.

The Role of the Glasgow Climate Pact

While the Glasgow Climate Pact, adopted at COP26, promotes a more ambitious response to the climate crisis, it fell short of reaching a consensus on reversing or avoiding catastrophic impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Without adequate financing, human and ecosystem health, food security, water scarcity, and infrastructure remain at risk, especially in least developed countries (LDCs). Human health is particularly concerning for those in informal housing and employment.

The Glasgow Climate Pact failed to emphasize the need for tailored financial and social frameworks to enable fair and just adaptation. COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, framed as an African COP, put the consequences of climate change in Africa into full view but also highlighted the continued sidelining of voices from LDCs and the most vulnerable, which undermines global climate action solidarity.

Advocating for Climate Justice

This article advocates for a shift in climate action, placing justice at the core. Recognizing the gross inequity between climate change impacts and responsibilities, we emphasize the critical need for climate justice in all deliberations, particularly for the African continent. Climate justice, rooted in the broader environmental justice movements, merges environmental protection with civil rights, focusing on the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on threatened environments.

Climate justice emerged prominently during COP15 in Copenhagen, where 100,000 protesters highlighted the concept of climate debt, emphasizing that justice transcends financial transactions and reflects centuries of resource exploitation. Scholars, politicians, and activists have explored climate justice through various lenses, including loss and damage (L&D) within negotiations, norms, and rules in the global climate regime, and technical solutions like carbon credits.

The Future of Climate Justice

The IPCC's recent reports underscore the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels and rethinking energy demands, living standards, and basic human needs. They stress embedding climate justice and equity throughout interventions to tackle climate change. Addressing climate change equitably requires accelerated financing and the creation of healthy communities. Effective decarbonization must go hand in hand with sustainable socio-economic development, ensuring a just and healthy society where people are food-secure, have access to clean water, adequate housing, healthcare, and education.

In conclusion, climate justice is central to real, effective, and sustainable climate action. It demands a comprehensive approach that recognizes and addresses the interconnected impacts of climate change, prioritizing the protection and empowerment of the most vulnerable communities. As we move beyond COP27 and look to future global climate negotiations and actions, climate justice must be at the heart of all efforts to ensure a fair and sustainable future for all.