The worrying climate-related disasters in recent years have shown the need to act quickly, both in order to tackle environmental destruction and to protect the population from its devastating effects.
Heatwaves, wildfires, floods, snowstorms, pollution, extreme cold and droughts are becoming more frequent. Some of the direct consequences include forced migration, fragmented communities, homelessness, famines, health problems, isolation and poverty. These situations are worse in low-income countries, which are the least responsible for climate change, but also affect communities (especially marginalised communities) worldwide.
Lack of involvement
Persons with disabilities are among the most affected. They are one the most excluded population groups worldwide, with higher risks of poverty.
When confronting climate change and related disasters, the scene is not different. Persons with disabilities are left behind in most cases. The lack of the disability perspective in the development of procedures in case of climate disasters impacts them disproportionately. In periods of economic crisis and inflation, the situation worsens.
They have huge obstacles to migrate (if it’s even possible). Escaping and being protected from disasters is dramatically hard when accessibility is not considered. The extra costs of living with a disability, coupled with lower incomes and lack of social support, lead to poverty and extreme difficulty in confronting sudden expenses – such as increasing energy prices.
Therefore, we need an urgent and inclusive reaction. Persons with disabilities must be considered :
- When planning the changes our societies and economic systems need to confront climate change.
- In the disaster response frameworks and humanitarian action programmes.
Persons with disabilities, through their representative organisations, must be involved- and lead – in decision-making about climate change mitigation and adaptation. Policies should not infringe their rights, as expressed in the UN Disability Rights Convention, in particular Articles 11 and 28. Women with disabilities should be particularly taken into account.
Disability focus needed on EU Climate Policy
We have been working to include persons with disabilities and their issues in every climate and sustainability-related EU policy, such as:
- The European Green Deal.
- The Just Transition framework and related funds, like the Social Climate Fund.
- Sustainable mobility regulations, such as the Urban Mobility Framework, the revision of the TEN-T Regulation or the Smart and Sustainable Mobility Strategy.
- Policies related to sustainability in buildings, such as the New European Bauhaus or the revision of the Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings.
We are also involved in:
- international discussion frameworks, as the ongoing COP27,
- cooperation with international organisations, such as the International Disability Alliance (IDA)
- cooperation with development consortiums, like IDDC, to make sure that our voice is heard.
Time to act is running out, and the consequences of Climate Change will become worse. Inclusive responses cannot wait any longer.