Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are five priorities that countries should integrate into their climate plans because they highlight social justice and equity in climate activism. 

• How is climate justice related to social justice and equity?

• Learn more about connecting social justice and climate change. 

Discussions on the social aspects of climate action have long focused on jobs in carbon-intensive industries, but they've started considering the broader picture. Solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change can affect all aspects of people's lives and, if ill-designed, can leave many behind.

The COP25 climate conference made some progress on ensuring social justice in shifting towards carbon-neutral and resilient societies.

These are steps forward. In overlooking the equity imperative, decision-makers miss opportunities to prevent regressive impacts of climate action and to reduce existing inequality. Lower-income and otherwise disadvantaged groups are at higher risk of being left behind or harmed, as shown by protests in France and Ecuador against green tax reforms that increased transport costs. But they can benefit the most from climate solutions that improve livelihoods, services and human health.

Here are five priorities countries should embed in their climate plans to promote fair transitions. These recommendations will be further developed in an upcoming WRI paper that highlights building blocks and untapped opportunities for social equity in climate action.

  1. Ensure public participation in climate action
  2. Improve the livelihoods of vulnerable workers and small-scale farmers
  3. Distribute sustainable and resilient infrastructure fairly
  4. Give low-income households access to cheaper green services and products
  5. Design progressive green tax reforms

As these examples show, the radical changes we need to respond to the climate emergency can overhaul entrenched inequalities — but only if designed that way. As Ursula van der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said during COP25, climate plans should leave no one behind: "This transition will either be working for all and be just, or it will not work at all."

Read the full article about priorities in climate action by Mathilde Bouyè at GreenBiz.