Climate Justice

Author: Eveless (Young Reporter, Malawi)

The future isn’t just handed to us, but we create it by the choices we make. What we choose today affects not only ourselves but future generations as well. Let’s think wisely. The choice we can make today is climate justice. Climate justice is a tool that ensures equality and fairness to everyone in regard to the effects of climate change. Climate change has affected the whole world, but its effects have impacted different groups differently. Is there any climate justice out there? The answer is No!

The developing countries which are mostly in Africa, are trying so hard to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. More funds are allocated towards the fight against climate change even though they emit almost negligible amounts of greenhouse gases which cause climate change. This has occurred because most developing countries depend on primitive agriculture which highly depend on rain water, and due to climate change the rain is scarce and not reliable.

Developed countries are well adapted and can easily mitigate the effects of climate change due availability of resources and funds. This is so sad because the developed countries emit most of the greenhouse gases, but they are not doing much to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit. So, climate justice uses the tool called carbon trade to allow the developing countries to pay for their discharges. Vulnerable groups such as women are prone to the effects of climate change, they suffer to look for food, energy and water for their families. Together with grassroot communities their voice is not held in how to mitigate climate change.

So, what should we do to elevate this climate injustice? We should employ tools of climate justice which bring equality and fairness to the effects of climate change. No one should be left behind, developed or developing countries, no gender or race. We should all take matters into our own hands and be responsible by carrying out afforestation, agroforestry, promoting climate justice campaigns, reducing carbon emissions, promoting the use of environmentally friendly technologies and promoting the use of alternative energy sources and clean energy.

‘Remember we have no planet B, don’t be greedy, we have only one planet’