We’ve been thinking about how best to comment on the murder of George Floyd and the events that have unfolded since. As an organisation that is centered around a specific cause, we wouldn’t want to be guilty of simply using the momentum of one message in order promote our own. However, we feel that the issues of racial injustice and environmental damage are inherently intertwined and that in this way we can add our own voice to help amplify, not detract from, the message that burns so bright in this moment.
People of colour, indigenous and marginalised communities are too often the ones most affected by climate change and the victims of ongoing environmental injustices. Furthermore, these communities are often less able to speak out and have their voices heard due to systemic racism in our societies. These injustices, environmental and social, are all part of the same system, a system that benefits certain people to the disadvantage of others and the planet. The steps to tackling these injustices are the same, we need to educate ourselves, collaborate together, and initiate action. With this in mind, we wanted to share some resources for further reading about environmental racism, intersectional environmentalism and what you can do.
(1 min) Responsibility for climate change is not spread equally. Our World In Data, 2020, co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions: Cumulative CO2 emissions by world region, 1751-2017 link
(1 min) Impacts of climate change are not and will not be spread equally. IPCC, 2018, SR15 degrees report Figure 3.19: Multi-sector risk maps for 1.5°C, 2°C, and locations where 2°C brings impacts not experienced at 1.5°C link
(10 mins) Essay on climate change and racism. Leon Sealey-Huggins, 2018, The climate crisis is a racist crisis: Structural racism, inequality and climate change link
(3 mins) Article on climate change and racism. Patrisse Cullors and Nyeusi Nguvu, 2017, From Africa to the US to Haiti, climate change is a race issue link
(1 min) The Intersectional Environmentalists Pledge by Leah Thomas (Instagram: @greengirlleah) link
Twitter list of Green Voices of Colour by Mary Annaïse Heglar (Twitter: @maryheglar) link
Finally, we say on our homepage that we “exist to spark collaboration within and across borders and professions to create a global community solving the climate crisis”. But it should not go without saying that this community must be inclusive of all people. We hope to create a space that feels safe and inclusive to all and which provides a platform for climate experts and activists that reflect the diversity of all the communities we hope to serve. We ask everyone to challenge us as to how we can do this better.