World Day of Social Justice 2020: talking environment equity and climate change

©Vijay Putra

<5 mins read. Approx. 505 words

The context:

On 26 November 2007, the UN General Assembly (GA) declared that, starting from the 63rd session of the GA, February 20 will be celebrated annually as the ‘World Day of Social Justice’. This year’s theme is “Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice”

Personal context:

One of the very first projects, that I was part of in the early 2000s India, was funded by environmental equity and justice partnership. The goal of EEJP is ‘to secure environmental justice especially for the poor and the marginalized that are often expected to bear more than their share of environmental burdens’. That was my very first introduction to the concept of environmental equity and how it relates to social, demographic, caste and climate change justice beyond just the economic lens.

The world today:

Globally, the number of urban residents, who lack safely managed sanitation, has increased from 1.9 billion in 2000 to 2.3 billion in 2015, costing $223 billion a year in health costs, lost productivity and wages.  In a recent analysis of 15 cities in the global south by WRI, 62 percent of sewage and fecal sludge is unsafely managed. This in on top of 780 million people, who do not have access to an improved water source.

In terms of combating air pollution, the Indian government, has tried to use anti smog water cannon to combat toxic air in nation’s capital, Delhi. They have also implemented something known as odd and even number of driving days for car owners based on their license number plates. 5 million residents were handed out face masks. Specialists have warned that inhaling Delhi’s toxic air is equivalent to smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day. As in every episode of an environmental challenge, the poorest are the worst hit in this case as well. They have to go out, and work to earn their daily wages.

Urban heat island effect is another climate change related phenomenon that has undertones of environment injustice and unequal social equity. Tree covers and green spaces tend to remain in influential and wealthy parts of neighborhoods, especially in the cities. Therefore, urban heat island effects low income neighborhoods more.

In conclusion:

According to the UN GA, globalization and interdependence are opening new opportunities through trade, investment and capital flows and advances in technology (IT, AI and others). The growth of the world economy has resulted in development and improvement of living standards around the world. At the same time there remain serious challenges, including serious financial crises, insecurity, poverty, exclusion and inequality within and among societies. It will provide considerable obstacles to further integration and full participation in the global economy for developing countries, as well as some countries with economies in transitions. Ultimately, economically disadvantaged citizens shall be facing these challenges. Environment and climate change in the context of social justice shall become increasingly evident, in the absence of viable global solutions and make it harder to achieve SDGs for all.

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