“Together, we can seize the enormous opportunities for green growth, for good green jobs, for cheaper, cleaner power. But we need to hit the ground running to develop the solutions that we need. And that work, my friends, starts today.”
These are the words of Conservative cabinet minister and COP26 President Alok Sharma as he opens the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference in the SEC Centre in Glasgow. Now, three days into this potentially world saving conference, we discuss the importance of effective action and the devastating impact of inaction on our communities, and in particular the vulnerability of BAME people across the world to climate change.
The organisation Climate Change Resources, claim that BAME communities are significantly more likely to be victims of the devastating effects of climate change, yet BAME individuals are often excluded from the discussion. In a report to the London Assembly, Aether – an organisation bringing together world leading environmental experts to monitor and assess complex data about our environment – stated that communities with a higher Black, Asian or minority ethnic population are disproportionately more likely to suffer medical issues linked to air pollution.
The organisation, Health Declares, cite socio-economic causes for the disproportionate effects of climate change on the BAME population. As BAME individuals in the UK are more likely to experience poverty, they are more likely to live in urbanised areas and energy inefficient homes. This contributes to extremely high levels of air pollution, less access to green spaces, and bad health during winter months. This, however, is not a problem exclusive to the United Kingdom, much like climate change as a whole, these inequalities are seen throughout the world. Particularly in the “global south” where a lack of food security and droughts are common, global warming and climate change can lead to devastating effects on the local populations.
An investigation by the BBC into the lack of BAME participation in climate activism saw a number of institutional factors at play, relating to climate activist groups methods. The investigation found that tactics used by groups like Extinction Rebellion, sometimes resulting in arrests due to their disruption, can be extremely off-putting to BAME individuals who fear they would be targeted by the police. Moreover, individuals on certain visas would be risking a lot more than those who are not when engaging in these activities. In addition, the BBC found that young BAME individuals are unable to connect with young white activists due to their reliance on school strikes which is said to be more difficult for BAME individuals due to cultural and home pressures to do well in school. This all indicates that climate activist groups are not particularly inclusive when it comes to their tactics.
While climate change will harm us all if we continue to do nothing, the effects it has and will continue to have on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities will be devastating. At COP26, we play a critical role in reversing the destructive effects of climate change, but when considering the difficult decisions ahead, those who are most vulnerable must be at the forefront of our minds.