Blog post by Gordon Rattray, EDF Programme Coordinator
My last blog about climate action was mostly talking about the lack of accessibility for people with disabilities at climate action decision-making tables. This time, I want to point out some of the other gaps in this conversation. I’ll try to avoid the accessibility issue… Let’s see how it goes!
Is the situation improving for those who are most at-risk?
I read on Devex that this year’s climate talks were ‘disappointing’. United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General António Guterres said “Countries are far off-track in meeting climate promises and commitments”, referring to a lack of ambition, trust, support, and of cooperation.
From where I sat during last month’s Climate Change Conference in Bonn, this was clear. High income countries are not meeting the rightful demands of lower income lands over loss and damage, and adaptation plans are being delayed.
But if all of this is bad news for the planet as a whole, what is the impact on the people who are most affected by climate change?
For example, families left behind during drought migration, residents abandoned in ‘care’ institutions through lack of evacuation procedures, and this recent article about people with disabilities excluded from heatwave action planning?
A few weeks after Bonn, Secretary-General Guterres had more to say about this, explicitly reminding us that persons with disabilities lose their lives at vastly higher rates during natural disasters, pandemics and armed conflicts. So no, the situation is not yet improving.
Do any solutions already exist?
Equally frustrating in Bonn, was listening to the Glasgow Dialogues. Here, topics like resilience, preparedness, humanitarian response, and community engagement were being discussed as if they are new concepts. We know that they are not.
90% of disasters are weather-related – it’s clear therefore that the people working on climate action, development, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and humanitarian response are all facing similar challenges. So surely some of the equipment that already exists in the DRR and humanitarian worlds, like the Sendai Framework (from 2015) and the IASC Guidelines (from 2019) are going to be top-drawer tools to tackle climate resilience and response. They are almost custom-made for the job.
And to strengthen this inclusion, we must avoid duplication. As an example, nearly 130 countries already have DRR plans. Does it not make sense to use this knowledge in the development of climate National Adaptation Plans? Or even just make one common plan? The DRR knowledge is not ‘disability perfect’, but if everyone pulls in the same direction, we will fill the gaps more quickly.
Thinking about affected populations, climate actors cannot be expected to reach and involve everyone without detailed information. The Sendai Framework calls for “the open exchange and dissemination of disaggregated data, including by sex, age and disability”. It is simply logical that we plug these already-existing methodologies straight into the climate crisis. Doing so will cut crucial corners in this fight against time.
Therefore yes, many of the tools do exist.
However, during the Bonn Climate Conference, disability was hardly mentioned. It was not even included in the often-quoted list of ‘most marginalised groups’.
Why so little progress?
It’s not surprising. A huge part of it comes down to the topic I was going to avoid – hearing from people with disabilities and using their knowledge and leadership to help make the right decisions. In other words, making things accessible.
The hosts of COP 28 are promising a ‘COP for all’ but, during their presentation in Bonn, there was no mention of the word ‘disability’ when talking about inclusion. When I raised points about accessibility, answers were vague – apparently “sign interpretation is difficult”, and there was no reference to live captioning, plain language and easy to read formats. All of this means that many disability communities will be excluded now already, right from the planning stage.
I don’t need to remind us of all the reasons for disability inclusion. Much has already been written about the intersection of climate and disability and the fact that it is a human rights issue. There are also evidence-based conversations starting about the impact of the climate crisis on disability rights in general and the economic benefits of disability inclusion. In short, the inclusion of persons with disabilities is fundamental if we are to achieve a just transition for everyone.
But let’s finish on a positive!
Despite the challenges, personal meetings I had with like-minded organisations, staff from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the European Commission, and national representatives were very encouraging. They reminded me that there is some momentum.
When people take time to listen to the logic behind disability inclusion, they are quickly convinced. As always, the biggest barrier is attitude. When attitudes change at the top levels, there will be progress. I only hope it is soon.
Photo credit: CBM UK
Photo info: Panel discussion during CBM UK side event on ‘Disability Rights and Climate Change’ at Bonn Climate Conference, June 2023. From left to right, Gordon Rattray (EDF Programme Coordinator), Dr Ian Fry (Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of Human Rights in the context of Climate Change), Mark Barrell (Head of Advocacy, CBM UK), Lien Vandamme (Senior Campaigner Human Rights and Climate Change at Center for International Environmental Law – CIEL), and Gurpreet Kaur (Engagement Advisor, Climate Outreach)