Lessons from climate justice programs

🆕 New report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development Surya Deva for the UN General Assembly on Climate Justice & Loss and Damage 🌎 The report develops a Climate Justice framework with 4 interrelated pillars: 🔸 Mitigation 🔸 Adaptation 🔸 Remediation 🔸 Transformation & highlights 12 human rights principles that should guide action across all pillars: Multi-species justice; Intergenerational equity; Non-discrimination; Participation; Intersectionality; Prevention; Precaution; Polluter pays; CBDR; Just transitions; Transparency; and International cooperation & solidarity. ⚖ By using a remediation lens, the UNSR rightly points to legal obligations of States & corporations with a high responsibility for causing the climate crisis to ensure access to effective remedies for those facing harm, including full climate reparations. In this context, the report stresses that the UNFCCC Loss & Damage debate is not rooted in remediation & accountability and that ⚠ States should "Accept their obligations under international human rights law to contribute to the [L&D] Fund in proportion to their contribution to GHG emissions over the years". ⚠ The report also turns the principles into recommendations for the Loss and Damage Fund, including: 🔹 Adequacy of funding 🔹 Human rights-based social & environmental safeguards 🔹 Active, free and meaningful participation 🔹 Ensuring a gender-transformative approach & non-discrimination 🔹 Simplified direct access for affected communities 🔹 Grants-based finance 🔹 An independent grievance redress mechanism There's much more to the report including references to fossil fuel phase-out, universal social protection, reform of the international financial architecture, ecocide, and debt relief. Highly recommended reading! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e3hXkYw6

How philanthropy can better support frontline leaders and environmental movements [At Climate Week, I joined a Global Greengrants Fund-led discussion with grassroots leaders that offered a sharp view of how philanthropy meets—and sometimes misses—the realities of frontline work.] Philanthropy is purportedly rooted in a ‘love of humanity’, yet its operating systems are often transactional. “Philanthropy” encompasses everything from small family foundations to major multilateral donors, but common norms—short grant cycles, risk aversion, and a preference for quantifiable results—shape behavior even among those seeking to work differently. For many frontline conservation and climate justice groups, traditional approaches to giving can feel misaligned with the realities they face. Too often, donors equate success with what can be counted: hectares protected, tons of carbon sequestered, beneficiaries reached. Yet much of the real progress happens outside those metrics. A woman leader challenging taboos in her community, villagers reviving their language, or waste pickers forming cooperatives after exchange visits—these are not “soft” outcomes but signs of resilience. The challenge is not measurement itself but learning to value change that resists easy quantification. A more adaptive ethos would treat grants as relationships rather than contracts, underwriting learning, pivots, and even failure. One youth climate organizer described a $2,000 grant in West Africa that initially flopped. A decade later, the same group had won a national award for emissions-reduction work in the same municipality—an outcome enabled by funders who stayed the course after the first donor’s support ended. Protecting those who protect nature requires investing in people’s well-being and staying power, not only their deliverables. Flexibility, though, is most effective when paired with transparency and mutual trust. Money alone rarely shifts power; the governance of money does. Community leaders seldom sit on foundation boards or advisory groups, yet their participation can recalibrate priorities and improve accountability. Some restoration programs overlook the less visible work of community organizing, even though such engagement is vital to long-term success. Real lives are not lived in thematic silos, yet philanthropy often rewards narrow proposals. All of this unfolds amid growing strain—forest loss, shrinking civic space, and a mental-health crisis within conservation. Short-term funding and job insecurity amplify stress; predictable support allows people to plan, rest, and sustain their commitment. Systemic challenges like climate change demand long-term patience and humility. Philanthropy will not fix global inequities, but it can practice disciplined optimism: funding for resilience, not just results. The path forward lies in trust-based support, shared governance, and the resolve to apply well-known principles with consistency and care.

I’m still thinking about a landmark win for climate justice from last week, when the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea delivered a unanimous Advisory Opinion finding that under the law of the sea, states bear responsibility for failing to protect the marine environment from climate change. In other words, climate change is driving the degradation of marine environments, and states are obligated to prevent that. This is an incredible win for Pacific nations, which were part of the alliance of small islands that initiated this request and are on the frontlines of climate change despite contributing the least to the problem. Their resilience and visionary leadership in using the law to achieve change is incredible. This win is a huge jolt of hope for everyone campaigning for global climate justice, setting a legal precedent for similar cases before international courts, including the campaign seeking an advisory opinion from the UN International Court of Justice to clarify state obligations and legal consequences related to climate change. Highly recommend this great read on The Conversation explaining the implications of the ITLOS decision. https://lnkd.in/gzmDX4ZU

Prioritizing justice in business climate action. 🌎 Centering climate action in Climate Justice requires more than mere adjustments; it demands a fundamental paradigm shift in both mindset and action. Businesses operating under old power models—those that are extractive and exploitative—perpetuate a cycle of harm and injustice, ultimately risking long-term viability. The future belongs to companies willing to transition to new power models that are equitable and regenerative, creating sustained well-being for society and the environment. The intersection of business climate action and Climate Justice is where modern leadership meets long-term resilience. Smart and ambitious companies will recognize that a shift to equitable and regenerative models isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do. Key Actions for Forward-Thinking Firms: ▪ Full Awareness, Accountability for Negative Impacts: Recognize and mitigate the adverse impacts of business activities. ▪ Focused on Learning and Progress: Adopt a growth mindset oriented toward continual improvement and innovation. ▪ Non-linear, Comfortable with Uncertainty: Be prepared for a non-linear path of progress, understanding that evolution can be gradual and uncertain. ▪ Deep Listening and Collaboration: Engage stakeholders in meaningful dialogue, asking 'how can we solve this together?' ▪ Contextual Understanding: Be aware that perspective matters; apply context-sensitive solutions. ▪ Consciously Anti-Racist: Actively work against racial disparities within the organization and in how your business impacts communities. ▪ Diverse, Intersectional Decision Making: Incorporate a variety of perspectives, including those based on race, gender, and culture, in decision-making processes. ▪ Multidimensional, Systemic Approach: Recognize the interconnectedness of social, environmental, and business challenges. ▪ Centered in Communities: Develop strategies informed by the needs and experiences of the communities and people most impacted by your business activities. Source: The Climate Justice Playbook for Business #climatejustice #businessresilience #sustainability #regenerative #community #esg #impact #purpose #sustainable #business #climatechange

Last week, the #ResidentialRetrofitsforEnergyEquity(R2E2) initiative released an authoritative Playbook designed to navigate the complexities of energy upgrade financing models, economic inclusion, and community engagement. One of the most noteworthy elements of the Playbook is found in Section 2: Actions and Best Practices, particularly under the “Identify Program Focus Areas” header. This section underscores the significance of the 2021 High-Road Workforce Guide for City Climate Action. The #HighRoadWorkforceGuide, developed in collaboration with the Bloomberg Philanthropies' American Cities Climate Challenge, offers city staff, elected officials, and advocates a strategic framework for supporting high-road workforce development. This approach is aimed at creating a qualified local workforce to meet ambitious climate goals while advancing racial equity in workforce programs. With the infusion of billions of dollars from the #InflationReductionAct(IRA), the 2021 #BipartisanInfrastructureLaw(BIL), and other federal sources, there is an unprecedented opportunity to address the critical issue of energy inefficiency in low- and moderate-income homes while reimagining and focusing on equitable workforce development. Explore the Playbook to learn more about its recommendations for energy upgrade programs, actions for program administrators, and best practices aimed at improving health outcomes, lowering energy bills, and strengthening local economies. Overall, I found the user experience and methodologies to be straightforward, making it a comprehensive read filled with an abundance of case studies that reflect real-life applications of the suggestions offered. The hyperlinked report and site attachments are also highly valuable. At the intersection of climate action and economic recovery, the #R2E2 Playbook serves as an excellent tool that offers practical and digestible guidance. I encourage everyone to bookmark the link and share it with Environmental Justice and Community-Based Organizations in your networks! Congratulations to Annika Brindel, Ian Becker, and to the Playbook’s collaborative efforts as a whole, produced by The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Elevate , Emerald Cities Collaborative, and HR&A Advisors. This playbook is a good reminder to embrace a future where energy-efficient homes are a standard, not a luxury, and where every community, especially those historically divested, can thrive. #R2E2 #Workforce #EconomicInclusion  #EnergyEquity

Have you noticed that sometimes "𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴" becomes covert displacement? Recently, I walked through a neighborhood that had been a case study in an internationally funded regeneration project. Several tactical urbanism ideas were used: new pavements, lighting, greenery... at first glance, a success. But I noticed that a local bakery that had existed a few years earlier was gone. The shop had been replaced by a trendy coffee shop. The mural painted with neighborhood children had been removed, and some other familiar faces had vanished. 𝗪𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. As an urban planner working at the intersection of international trends and territorial development, I have witnessed the 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 "𝘂𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴". 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 creeps in, not with bulldozers, but through beautification. Prices rise. Communities change. Identities and the character of the place fade. Many multilateral projects (#AFD #GIZ #IDB) seek greener, safer, inclusive and more resilient cities. However, equity can get lost along the way. Why? Because social safeguards are too often checklists, not principles. Because we continue to design 𝗳𝗼𝗿 people, not 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 them. Through EU-LATAM programs such as @EUROCLIMA+ and @URBACT, territorial strategies have been co-created that balance climate resilience with social justice. However, it's important to emphasize that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻. It's about ensuring that transformation doesn't erase identity. Some of my lessons learned: Urban balance must be designed from the ground up. Plans must 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴. Understand the dynamics and study the sociocultural processes occurring within the intervention area. 🔍 Looking ahead to 2030, how do we integrate equity, not just efficiency, into urban investment? I'd love to hear more insights on this topic if you work in inclusive planning, risk management, or creating resilient spaces in Europe and Latin America. #UrbanPlanning #ResilientCities #Gentrification #EUROLATAM #EquityInPlanning #EUROCLIMA #URBACT #AFD #GIZ #IDB #UrbanJustice #InternationalCooperation #SDG11

To my non-Spanish-speaking colleagues, here's a brief reaction to the Advisory Opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on "Climate Emergency and Human Rights" (OC-32/25). After reading the decision, the Court has taken a qualitative step in climate law for Latin America and the Caribbean. Four points stand out (paragraph numbers in parentheses): 1. Reinforced due diligence: the new baseline The Court raises the duty of prevention to an exceptional level: States must act with reinforced due diligence when facing climate risks, using the best available science and recognising the urgency of harm (231-238). The same standard now applies to businesses: States must require climate due diligence processes across entire value chains, including emissions disclosure, reduction plans, and penalties for greenwashing (346-351, 353-354). Supervision will be stricter for high-risk sectors (fossil energy, cement, agribusiness), strengthening the polluter-pays principle. In practice, this opens the door to EU-style laws such as the CSDDD or CSRD in the region, but with climate-specific teeth and a strong mandate for state oversight. 2. Right to a healthy climate: an autonomous recognition The Court separates the climate system from other environmental components and recognises an independent human right to a "healthy climate", a system free from dangerous, human-made interference (299-303). 3. Differentiated obligations and equity The reinforced standard is modulated by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (Art. 3.1 UNFCCC): it does not eliminate developing-country obligations but demands stronger cooperation (237). In mitigation, NDCs and domestic targets must be guided by intra- and inter-generational equity and differentiation (324-327). Differentiation also applies within sectors: historical or high-risk emitters must shoulder extra burdens (350). Strategic takeaway: The Court aligns climate justice with concrete burden-sharing tools, from finance to loss and damage, strengthening LAC's negotiating position at future COPs. 4. Nature as a subject of rights The Court advances a post-anthropocentric shift, granting legal personality to nature, including the climate system, reinforcing ecosystem protection (284-286) and declaring a jus cogens prohibition on irreversible environmental harm (287-294). Implication: It validates rights-of-nature models (e.g., rivers with legal standing), facilitates public-interest actions to protect carbon sinks, and raises the bar for projects that affect critical ecosystems. Bottom line: OC-32/25 sets regional parameters enforceable by domestic courts, guides future climate-due-diligence legislation, and is likely to influence the forthcoming Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on climate change.

🌍📚 Excited to share another project that came out this summer: Climate Litigation in the Global South: Vulnerabilities and Innovations (Routledge, 2025), co-edited with Melanie Murcott and Susan Ann Samuel. Please read our introduction, which highlights how climate litigation has emerged as a vital tool in contexts marked by vulnerability—whether environmental, socioeconomic, institutional, or democratic. While litigation is often discussed from a Global North perspective, our contributors illuminate how courts and communities in the Global South are reimagining legal arguments, reshaping institutional responses, and expanding notions of justice. The book underscores three key insights: 1️⃣ Vulnerabilities are layered — ecological fragility, poverty, inequality, and governance challenges intersect in shaping how climate harms are experienced. 2️⃣ Litigation can innovate under constraint — Global South cases often stretch existing doctrines, combine human rights and constitutional claims, and reframe the role of courts. 3️⃣ Local struggles have global resonance — these cases provide lessons for the evolution of climate law everywhere, not just in the jurisdictions where they are filed. 👉 You can read the introduction here (open access): https://lnkd.in/esB-fgvA I’d love to hear thoughts on how litigation is being used—and transformed—in your regions.

Over the past two years at VTT, I have been exploring how foresight and innovation can support a just and inclusive energy transition. A central question has been: 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑜 𝐸𝑈-𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛? The European Commission’s new report, “𝐴 𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ & 𝐼𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠”, assesses 55 Horizon 2020 projects and provides some important insights: 🔸 Environmental justice and participatory governance are critical to include vulnerable groups in decision-making 🔸 Cities need integrated frameworks that connect mobility, housing, and resilience strategies 🔸 Circular and bio-based solutions are advancing, but scaling is limited by market fragmentation and lack of standards 🔸 Community-led renewable energy shows promise, yet financial and regulatory barriers remain 🔸 Stronger EU and global cooperation, supported by digital tools and AI-driven models, is needed to strengthen resilience and adaptation The findings highlight both the opportunities and the gaps that remain. It is now up to policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to translate these lessons into action and ensure Europe’s green transition delivers on both sustainability and justice. 📖 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dc-WQQWJ #JustTransition #GreenDeal #Innovation #ClimateJustice #Sustainability

🌍 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵: 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝗼-𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺? Since 2020, carbon trading in developing economies has grown by 47% (Ecosystem Marketplace, 2023). But beyond the boom lies a deeper question: who truly benefits? 📊 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 The Global South holds 73% of high-integrity carbon sequestration potential (McKinsey, 2024): — Forest protection — Regenerative agriculture — Renewable energy If structured equitably, carbon finance could unlock $175–$320B by 2030 (Climate Policy Initiative, 2023). ⚖️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗽 — Developed nations are responsible for 78% of historical emissions, yet suffer least from climate impacts (Carbon Brief, 2023) — Only 15–30% of carbon finance typically reaches local communities (RRI, 2024) — Many projects impose Global North standards over indigenous knowledge (Oxford Climate Policy Review, 2024) 🌱 𝗔 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗜𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 Community-led forest carbon programs in Kenya show: ✔️ 3–4x greater returns to communities (WRI, 2024) ✔️ Local governance, transparency & fair revenue sharing drive success 🧭 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 To ensure carbon markets advance climate justice, we must prioritize: — Indigenous and community ownership — Tech transfer & local capacity building — Safeguards against exploitation & land grabs The low-carbon transition is a massive opportunity — but only if it’s built on justice, not extraction. What do you think: Are carbon markets closing the equity gap, or widening it? #CarbonMarkets #ClimateJustice #GlobalSouth #JustTransition #ClimateFinance