Intersectionality is one of the foundational values on which the organisation I founded, Systemic Justice, operates. As the first Black-led, majority Black, and People of Colour (BPOC) organisation in Europe working on strategic litigation for climate, racial, social, and economic justice, we could not approach our work in any other way. That includes the work we do with community partners to make climate justice a reality.

We, of course, are not the only ones taking an intersectional approach in our work, and certainly not the only ones resisting the harms of the climate crisis. Yet, while ‘intersectionality’ and ‘climate’ are almost buzzwords nowadays, the two fail to come together in a meaningful way in Europe. We have a very active European climate field. However, it’s not one that structurally works towards climate justice, meaning work that properly centres the way the climate crisis intersects with different systems of oppression such as racism, ableism, classism, and many more.

This leaves the interests of those who are hardest hit by the climate crisis, including racialised communities, people with a disability, and people living in poverty out of the frame. That is why it is so important that funders take a true climate justice approach if we are to stand a chance in fighting the climate crisis.

In my keynote, I proposed three ways in which funders can better support intersectional climate justice work:

First, funders must let go of siloed thinking. The climate crisis is complex and needs a tapestry of activism and different interventions; no one knows which ‘big bet’ will be decisive, so there is a need to invest broadly, by supporting initiatives that think outside the box; and generously, by providing long-term core funding.

Second, a much more structural approach to funding is needed. By this, I mean an approach that focuses on supporting ecosystems instead of a few actors and on supporting communities instead of institutions. This requires funders to think expansively and get creative about supporting multifaceted approaches: there is not just one way to bring about change.

Finally, funders need to trust those doing the frontline work. In our world things change more quickly than most funding cycles, so funders should not be tying the hands of people at the frontlines with admin-heavy, piecemeal project grants. In the end, the activists you are supporting are the real experts. So funders need to trust their grantees to make the right call in adapting to changing circumstances; it will allow everyone (including funders) to be more effective.

Read the full article about climate crisis by Nani Jansen Reventlow at Alliance Magazine.