Climate justice

In order to achieve a sustainable transition to cleaner energy sources, the global community has had to develop Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). However, climate justice must be put at the forefront for the transition to be successful. Therefore, one of the objectives of the United Nations 27^th Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP27) was finding ways in enabling climate justice for women through NDCs.

According to a United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Climate Justice Roundtable held in February, climate justice means understanding that not everyone has contributed to climate change in the same way and having a people-centred approach to climate action. Yale Climate Connections defined climate justice as a term that acknowledges climate change having different social, economic, public health and other impacts on underprivileged populations. These marginalised populations often bear most of the consequences of climate change in sickness, poverty, malnutrition, insecurity, and flooding, among others. One significant group among the marginalised population adversely affected by climate change is women.

According to UN Women, women and girls are impacted more by the climate change crisis. However, one of the objectives of the global call for climate action through clean energy development is for the transition to be just. But how can this be achieved? How can countries make efforts in enabling climate justice for women through NDCs?

Women, especially in rural areas, are majorly responsible for daily household activities. Some of these activities include sourcing energy for cooking, heating, and clean drinking water. For example, according to Energypedia, women and girls in Nigeria and Sierra Leone spend approximately five hours each day collecting fuels like firewood and coal to cook and carry out other chores.

The global energy access deficit further compounds the consequences of climate change on women in terms of security and health. Firstly, crime and sexual violence against women who have to find alternative energy sources are enabled by the improper electrification of public spaces. Also, these women are at more risk of being exploited for the resources they desperately need. Secondly, healthwise, the emissions from energy sources like firewood and coal are detrimental to well-being. According to the World Bank, these polluting fuels cause respiratory diseases and even deaths totalling about 4 million every year.

As such, countries have become more conscious of enabling climate justice for women through their NDCs. The NDCs are each country’s plans and strategies, mandated by the Paris Agreement, to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Hence, an NDC cannot be deemed inclusive if it lacks provisions that address the challenges of underprivileged populations or marginalised groups. For this reason, countries have updated their NDCs to include climate justice provisions.

Conversations from a panel session at COP27 themed Enhancing Climate Action Through Rights-based, Gender-responsive and Integrated Approaches in the Context of the Climate Crisis revealed that 95% of climate action-conscious countries have gender considerations in their NDCs. However, a lot must be done to enable climate justice for women through NDCs. For example, more commitments are needed in designing and costing specific climate justice programmes. Also, the localisation of funding for gender inclusion projects is essential.

Climate justice advocacy for marginalised groups is critical to achieving an equitable energy transition. Although the NDCs are an excellent step to reaching a sustainable and just energy future, guidelines with clear expectations of integration, tracking, and reporting climate justice provisions must be monitored.