Understanding the 'Triple Inequality' in the Climate Crisis: A New and Radical Challenge
Gazing at a future climate map reveals a disturbing reality: a band of extreme heat encircling the planet's midriff, a consequence of global heating. The predicted scenario suggests that within 50 years, 30% of the world's projected population will endure unbearably hot temperatures above 29C, primarily affecting regions like sub-Saharan Africa. This dramatic shift underscores the urgency of addressing the "triple inequality" that lies at the core of the climate crisis.
The triple inequality encompasses the vast disparities in responsibility for creating the problem, experiencing its impacts, and possessing resources for mitigation and adaptation. The regions most severely affected by global heating are also those anticipating rapid population growth, notably sub-Saharan Africa. Paradoxically, these regions contribute the least to the emissions driving the crisis. The lowest-earning 50% of the global population, constituting 4 billion people, account for a mere 12% of total emissions.
The author draws attention to the stark reality that half the world's population, led by the top 10% of income distribution and the global elite, drives a productive system causing environmental destabilization. The resulting impacts disproportionately affect the poorest, creating a triple inequality: responsibility, impact, and resources for addressing the crisis.
Notably, climate refugees and fragile states face unprecedented challenges. Climate breakdown poses distributional problems, potentially pushing fragile states into outright collapse, rendering them incapable of providing essential resources like water and electricity during extreme heat. The looming questions about resettlement and economic adaptation underscore the urgency of addressing this triple inequality.
The historic novelty of the situation lies in the fact that as the rich world develops, it undermines the conditions for survival of billions in the climate danger zone. The author highlights the violent and indirect entanglement, where the climactic effects of economic growth victimize those in vulnerable regions. Unlike traditional unequal relationships, this ecological victimization offers fewer channels for resistance within the system.
The article concludes by underscoring the importance of global climate conferences, such as Cop28, as venues to articulate the connection between production, consumption, and the risks faced by vulnerable regions. The establishment of a loss and damage fund becomes a focal point for acknowledging responsibility and providing compensation. While not a comprehensive solution to the triple inequality, such a fund signals the recognition that the global climate crisis is an active process of victimization, demanding urgent action.
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