The two biggest problems of our time are (a) climate change and (b) increasing inequality.

For some, these two problems are related and can be approached together whereas for others
these are completely different problems and need a different set of solutions. What in your
opinion is the case?

Do workout possible model(s) to address both the problems either corresponding to each
other or incongruent to each other.
The model must be engineered in an original and innovative manner.
Submission deadline: 10 December 2021 EOD.

❖ Introduction:Climate Change Inequalities

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/
10986/34496/9781464816024.pdf

“Climate change impacts tend to be regressive, falling more heavily on the poor than
the rich.”
- Skoufias 2012

Climate change is a man-made tragedy that is already undoing accomplishments in

the battle against inequality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud2qFGriddY ( Check )

The climate change catastrophe affects us all—in every town and on every continent
—but the poorest among us—those least responsible for the problem—are the ones
who bear the brunt of the consequences. People in low-income and disadvantaged
countries and communities are the least able to defend themselves and their family
against it.

There is a relationship between climate change, poverty, and inequality. Shifting

weather patterns, droughts, flooding, and storms have a disproportionately negative
impact on impoverished and vulnerable people, resulting in uncertain growing
seasons, crop failures, and dramatic rises in food costs. People in low- and lower-
middle-income countries are five times as likely as people in high-income countries to
be displaced by sudden extreme weather events, and long-standing gender, racial, and
economic inequalities mean that historically marginalised communities are the hardest
hit and most impacted by the climate crisis. Inequality can be exacerbated by the
disproportionate loss of physical, human, and social assets. Unavailability of
resources to combat these crises has increased the gap between the rich and the poor,
both in terms of among countries and within a country.

Source: Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations

By 2030, climate change might push an extra 100 million people into poverty, many
of whom live in nations plagued by institutional fragility and armed conflict, where
global extreme poverty is becoming increasingly concentrated. Faced with several
shocks, countries will need to act on a number of fronts to save lives and livelihoods,
provide for their most vulnerable populations, and re-establish inclusive growth.

The two problems in consideration: Climate change and inequality are related. There
are many other reasons for inequality apart from climate change, however climate
change is not only playing a role in increasing the inequality, but also in reversing the
measures and effects of inequality reduction that occurred over past years. Hence, to
reduce inequality, it is important to address the problem of climate change.
 Source: Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations

To establish a model to combat climate change, measures to aid the incapable to cope
with the situation and prevent rise of inequality, we have attempted to study various
types of inequality and how climate change is shaping them. We have also sought
learnings from existing measures taken by various countries and existing models to
develop a new model to address the issues.

❖ Climate change inequality:

https://www.clientearth.org/latest/latest-updates/stories/climate-change-inequality-
the-unequal-impact-of-extreme-weather/
❖
❖ Developed Vs Developing
❖ Intergenerational Inequality- https://opencanada.org/inequality-explained-7-
ways-climate-change-and-inequality-are-connected/
❖
❖ Social Inequality (KAMAKSHI)-
Certain groups in the society are particularly vulnerable to the climatic crisis and
others. Most of them are people with disabilities, ethnic minors, children, female-
headed households, socially marginalized, sexual and gender minorities, etc. Their
vulnerability usually lies in the context of their financial, cultural, gender status, and
geographical status.
The effect of shifting weather cycles, droughts, storms, and floods hits poor and
marginalised communities worse, causing unpredictable growing seasons, scarcity of
resources, crop failures, and abrupt increases in food prices. People belonging to low-
 income, under-developed countries are multiple times more likely than other countries
to be displaced by sudden drastic weather catastrophes.
Racial Injustice- People with socioeconomic inequities, particularly many people of
colour, are disproportionately affected by climate change. Such social groups lack
political power and representation in economic systems, making it difficult for these
communities to build climate resilience or the ability to respond to extreme events
that occur due to climate change. For example, some regions with extreme heat are
advised to stay indoors and avoid outdoor and exposure to pollution on hot days. But
in some places like South Los Angeles, residents are predominantly people of colour
had to stay in sweltering homes as they didn't have ACs or any source for cool air in
2020. 64% of the total households live below the poverty level in their
neighbourhood.
A report states that “the consequences of climate change, including extreme heat,
devastating floods, and air pollution, result in higher risks of death for African
Americans and low-income individuals than white and wealthier neighbourhoods.”
Poor- People who are rich and have access to enough resources can foresee and adapt
to climate change. In contrast, poor people and people who live in developing
countries have less ability to do so. People living near factories (mostly labourers,
low-income groups) that pollute the air are more prone to health risks. Such areas
usually have few hospitals, and these people with their children have less access to
preventive care. When disaster strikes, such as a storm or hurricane, they face power
cuts, water shortage, and access to resources, and they cannot even get to the safer
areas.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/social-dimensions-of-climate-change#1
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/communities-of-color-and-climate-
change/

❖ Economic Inequality (Rahul)

https://www.economicsobservatory.com/how-does-climate-change-shape-
inequality-poverty-and-economic-opportunity
https://www.climateforesight.eu/migrations-inequalities/decrease-in-global-
inequality-threatened-by-climate-change/
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211025-climate-how-to-make-the-rich-
pay-for-their-carbon-emissions

❖ Political Inequality:( rahul) included in economic inequality

 ❖ How to address the problem:
➢ Rich must step up https://theconversation.com/inequality-and-climate-
change-the-rich-must-step-up-119074 (Rahul)
➢ https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/issues/climate-change-and-
inequality/
➢ Environment as a Human Right: https://opencanada.org/inequality-
explained-7-ways-climate-change-and-inequality-are-connected/
➢ https://www.iied.org/how-tackling-climate-change-could-tackle-inequality

How to deal with the issue: (Rahul)

Rich people must take action:

According to the Oxfam report, the wealthiest Americans' lives are 10 times more
emissions-intensive than China's richest.

The answer was a resounding yes. According to Gössling's calculations, Bill Gates,
one of the world's most prominent environmental advocates, flew 59 times in 2017,
covering a distance of around 343,500 kilometres (213,000 miles) – more than eight
times around the world – and emitting more than 1,600 tonnes of greenhouse gases
(equivalent to the average annual emissions of 105 Americans).

Global inequality has received a lot of attention in recent decades. Disruptive events
tend to affect the poorest first and hardest, from the 2008 financial crisis to the
pandemic and the increasingly severe repercussions of climate change.

Everyone strives to be wealthy, and wealthy people set the tone for consuming. The
harmful repercussions are there – Halina Szejnwald Brown
The figures are astounding. According to a 2020 analysis from Oxfam and the
Stockholm Environment Institute, the world's wealthiest 10% were responsible for
over half of global emissions in 2015. The world's richest 1% were responsible for
15% of emissions, roughly twice as much as the world's poorest 50%, who were
responsible for only 7% and would face the brunt of climate consequences despite
holding the least blame.

According to Emily Ghosh, a staff scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute,

as the wealthy race through the remaining "carbon budget" – the amount of
greenhouse gas that can be emitted without pushing global warming beyond 1.5
degrees Celsius by the end of the century – they "aren't making the space for the
bottom half of the population to grow their emissions to the point where they're
actually getting their needs met."
"This is a false dichotomy," Akenji points out. "Lifestyles are moulded by
environment; they don't live in a vacuum." People spend their lives in the midst of
mostly unsustainable political and economic institutions. We won't be able to handle
climate change unless we address the lifestyles of the wealthiest and most polluting
members of our communities, as well as the influence they wield.

Take, for example, aviation. "As soon as you fly, you're a member of the global elite,"
Gössling argues. More than 90% of people have never flown, and only 1% of the
world's population is responsible for 50% of all aviation emissions.

Despite their environmental effect, the SUVs that transport presidents, corporate
leaders, and celebrities — as well as increasingly middle-class families in cities –
have become a status symbol.

Another consumption hotspot is larger dwellings. In a recent research on the role of

affluent individuals in promoting climate change, Kimberly Nicholas, a sustainability
scientist at Lund University, and her co-authors wrote, "Housing choices symbolise
prestige and social position."

Covid-19, which significantly reduced corporate travel, demonstrated that video

conversations may be used in place of in-person meetings. According to a
Bloomberg poll, 84 percent of firms expect to spend less on business travel after the
epidemic.

People have begun to examine the effect of their meals, which has resulted in a
surge in plant-based meat and dairy businesses. "It's not an edict or a mandate of
government policy," Peter Newell adds.
According to Newell, targeted taxes on unsustainable behaviours like frequent flying
and meat overconsumption might help individuals adapt to low-carbon behaviours
more rapidly, especially if there is a direct relationship between penalising polluting
behaviour and investments that benefit many people.

A personal carbon allowance (PCA) is a more extreme notion, in which each person
is given an equal, traded carbon allocation. If people wish to emit more, they must
purchase other people's unused allowances.

Some governments are undergoing significant transformations. To fulfil emissions

limits, the Welsh government has halted new road construction, the Netherlands has
recommended a 30% reduction in livestock numbers to minimise pollution, and
councils in UK areas such as Norwich and Exeter have begun to create energy-
efficient social housing.

It is beneficial to one's health to consume less meat. Fewer SUVs and gas-powered
automobiles improve air quality and prevent pollution-related mortality. A four-day
work week might also provide parents with a better work-life balance, more family
time, and lower child-care expenditures.

In a 2018 UN report, thousands of scientists and government reviewers agreed that

limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C would help us avoid the
worst climate impacts and maintain a livable climate. Yet based on current
national climate plans, global warming will reach 2.7°C by the end of the century
 ❖ Economic Inequality:

Climate change and economic inequality are frequently seen as separate issues. However,
neither of these issues can be addressed without addressing the other: they are inexorably
intertwined.

Inequality, poverty, and economic opportunity will all suffer as a result of unabated climate
change. Poverty and inequality, on the other hand, contribute to global warming. Within
countries, for example, social polarization and income disparity have a direct impact on
policy support.
The historical contribution to climate change is likewise quite unequal. Historically, the
United Kingdom and other sophisticated countries have been responsible for the great
majority of emissions, either producing or consuming them. However, global emissions
reductions will not be realized without action by emerging nations, which already account for
60% of global emissions and will account for practically all future emissions rise.
'Degrowth' isn't a viable option. We require a global economy that is larger, cleaner, and
more inclusive. However, unless they can be divorced from growth and development,
emerging economies, which are correctly focused on growth and development to eliminate
poverty and raise relative living standards, will increase emissions.
There are prospects for low-carbon growth. New inventions and technical development
hinder growth in advanced economies. A new industrial revolution might be sparked by
investments in new low-carbon technologies. However, this is not a given.
Value differences and political restrictions may stifle innovation and the structural changes
required to combat climate change. Furthermore, even if a low-carbon industrial revolution
occurs in affluent nations, technological adoption and integration barriers may obstruct
emissions decoupling in underdeveloped and emerging economies.
If we want to cut emissions and boost global prosperity, we must first understand what these
restrictions are and how responsive they are to policy action.
Climate change is already causing harm to us. During a four-day heatwave in June 2021,
temperatures in the Pacific Northwest reached a record high of 46.6°C, killing more than 200
people. This heatwave would have been nearly unthinkable without climate change,
according to scientists from World Weather Attribution. Climate change has also been
observed to increase the likelihood of heavy rainfall events that resulted in severe floods in
Western Europe at the same period.
These incidents grabbed news headlines all across the world. Other catastrophes in 2021 drew
less notice, including severe flooding in Ghana, Niger, India, Afghanistan, and South Sudan,
drought and heatwaves in Central Asia, Tropical Cyclone Seroja, which slammed Indonesia
in early April, and Hurricane Grace, which struck Haiti two days after an M7.2 earthquake.

Climate change and other environmental dangers disproportionately affect socially and
economically disadvantaged people. Whether comparing nations or within countries, the
poorest and most needy are more susceptible, lose a bigger proportion of their wealth when
tragedy occurs, and have fewer means to deal with the aftermath.

Vulnerability, on the other hand, isn't only a means of describing the repercussions of a
natural disaster. Environmental risk shapes poverty, inequality, and economic opportunity,
which influences sensitivity to future environmental shocks.
Cases
https://www.wri.org/insights/5-big-ideas-address-climate-crisis-and-
inequality-cities

1. Nairobi, Kenya's Community-Managed Public Spaces

Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujpcvgxXYRI

Situation

Kibera, Nairobi's most populous slum, is positioned perilously alongside the Ngong
River. This informal settlement, which is home to more than 300,000 people, is
plagued by poor drainage and sanitation, fragile housing, and a lack of public space.
Only a few city services are available in the area. Kibera's residents are among
Nairobi's hardest hit, with flooding, sewage overflows, and mudslides as a result of
climate change's greater storms and heavier rainfall. Flooding affects up to 40% of the
residences in the area on a regular basis.

Initiative
The charity Kounkuey Design Initiative debuted in Kibera in 2006 with a
participatory, step-by-step method to improve drainage and sanitation that relies on
existing infrastructure modifications. Working with community-based organisations,
the effort constructed a network of public spaces where both manmade and natural
infrastructure, such as restored riverbanks, help protect the neighbourhood from
flooding and minimise pollution throughout Nairobi's watershed.

Outcome

The 11 public areas established and managed by the Kounkuey Design Initiative give
more than merely flood prevention to the neighbourhood. They're also places to have
fun, study, and work. The projects foster a sense of community ownership and pride,
and they work, demonstrating that it is possible to provide all city inhabitants with
safe, accessible, and climate-resilient public places.

2. London, United Kingdom: The world's largest clean air zone

Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx6rhp7qiu4&t=1s

Situation

Air pollution, much of it caused by car traffic, is an issue for both climate change and
social justice in the UK's capital. Low-income and historically disenfranchised
Londoners are the most likely to breathe filthy air while owning the fewest cars.
While over 95% of residents are exposed to illegal and dangerous air pollution, air
pollution is 16 percent worse for children, immigrants, and persons of colour on
average.
 Initiative

London's congestion charge, a levy levied to all vehicles driven within the city centre,
was implemented in 2003 as part of an effort to address air pollution. The mayor's
administration went one step further in 2019 by establishing the world's first Ultra
Low Emission Zone. All drivers must now adhere to tight car emissions requirements
or pay a fine in the 21 square kilometres (8 square miles) of central London. The fee's
proceeds are then re-invested in the city's public transportation infrastructure.

Outcome

In the first ten months, the policy resulted in 44,000 less polluting vehicles on the
road and a 44 percent drop in roadside nitrogen dioxide (a chemical that is detrimental
to human health). Fewer automobiles also imply fewer greenhouse gas emissions,
which contribute to climate change.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone is just one piece of a larger plan to reduce air pollution
across the city, which includes everything from electric bus investments to low-
emission school zones. With a targeted strategy, marginalised populations with the
lowest air quality are prioritised. By the end of 2021, the Ultra Low Emission Zone
will have expanded to cover an area 18 times larger, including London's outskirts.
3. In Rosario, Argentina, urban agriculture is used to build climate resilience.
Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMsjqVpstrA

Situation

Rosario is already dealing with rising temperatures and precipitation as a result of

climate change. These developments are taking place against a backdrop of urban
inequality left over from Argentina's 2001 economic crisis, which saw over a quarter
of Rosario's population lose their jobs. Starting with the city's flagship urban
agriculture programme, officials tried to realign the strengths of current initiatives
toward enhanced climate resilience when the city's strategic climate planning began in
2014.

Initiative

The city of Rosario's urban agriculture initiative provides low-income individuals

with access to underused public land that they can use to grow food. Over 75 hectares
of land have been turned into fruit and vegetable gardens, which are sold at seven
local farmers markets. Poorer residents will benefit from this land conversion because
it will provide them with additional sources of income. It also aids the city in
increasing flood resilience and combating the urban heat island effect. During heavy
rains, the earth in the gardens absorbs water, relieving pressure on the drainage
system and naturally cooling the air.

Outcome

The program's previously underappreciated climate change mitigation benefits have

become more obvious as it has matured into a cornerstone of Rosario's climate
 response, since more local food helps cut greenhouse gas emissions related with
transportation in the food supply chain.

4. In Ahmedabad, India, women are leading the charge for community climate
resilience.
Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFAQ2g7va0w

Situation

Urbanization collides with climate change-related heat extremes, water scarcity,

flooding, and public health in Ahmedabad. Residents of slums are disproportionately
affected, as they are in Nairobi and many other places with substantial informal
populations, because their homes are less protected from water and extreme heat.
Women are especially more sensitive to environmental risks at home because they
generally rely on home-based work to support themselves.

Initiative

The Mahila SEWA Housing Trust began training local women leaders (Vikasinis) to
undertake climate risk assessments in Ahmedabad's slums after a catastrophic heat
wave killed more than 1,300 lives in 2010. Through collaborations with technical
institutions, innovators, and technology providers, the group also evaluated real
climate resilience solutions for households and neighbourhoods.
The housing trust and the Vikasinis bridged the gap between available solutions and
the specific needs of slum communities by bringing together this broad group of
people. They developed technologically feasible and financially feasible upgrades to
mitigate climate risks from the ground up, such as white paint to reflect sunlight off
rooftops and keep homes cooler, rooftop catchment systems to collect water during
heavy rains, and water metres to help the community avoid wastage.

Outcome

Local communities and female leaders now have more access to city-level projects
and decision-making, and they've helped the city make climate resilience a priority.
The Mahila Housing Trust has inspired similar concepts in six other South Asian
cities, reaching over 125,000 individuals in 107 slums.

Do workout possible model(s) to address both the problems either corresponding to

each other or incongruent to each other.
The model must be engineered in an original and innovative manner.