Special Dossier : Social Inequalities and Climate Change
As global warming and the need to adapt to it become ever more pressing, the question arises: how do we start promoting fair and equitable adaptation to climate change?
What is a just and equitable transition?
Quebec has committed to adopting adaptation guidelines based on the principles of a just transition and intergenerational equity. Their aim is to distribute the costs and benefits of climate action fairly between generations and social groups. Although the notion of equity is recognized in the Paris Agreement, its implementation has not moved beyond the embryonic stage. Further government efforts are needed.
To achieve equity in adaptation, ministries must collaborate in a coherent and ambitious way while taking the impacts on health, genders and vulnerable populations into account. Today, the Quebec government is turning to non-sector-specific programs and policies to address climate change while integrating social and economic issues. The aim is to create measures that reduce the effects of climate change while stabilizing or reducing inequalities.
In addition, it’s essential to promote the participation of vulnerable groups in decision-making processes, as their political involvement is often limited compared to more advantaged people, which tends to perpetuate inequalities.
More research
Some topics relating to climate change and inequality are less well studied in Quebec. Issues specific to people with reduced mobility, the homeless, southern Quebec Indigenous populations, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and immigrants are some of the topics that are absent from the climate science literature. Similarly, certain areas, such as northern, coastal and remote regions, which have multiple vulnerabilities, are still poorly covered by research.
To fill these gaps, the Quebec government and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) have set up the Cities, Climate and Inequalities collection of research summaries to disseminate knowledge on the links between inequalities and climate action.
Ouranos is also collaborating with the INRS on the Climate Equity Lab: a living laboratory dealing with equity in climate change adaptation. The aim of this initiative is to co-produce a toolbox designed to improve overall understanding of equity issues, to raise awareness and to spur adaptation decision-makers to take action.
To view the documentation and summaries in the collection, go to:
To learn more about the Climate Equity Lab:
The Climate Equity Lab: A living lab on equity in climate change adaptation in Quebec | Ouranos
The local adaptation process
Many municipalities have begun the process of adaptation. In some cases, however, this can create or increase inequalities. Certain steps can be taken to achieve equity in local adaptation planning.
Municipalities, supramunicipal bodies and organizations must:
Examine the social particularities of their territories and include the public in the discussions
Focus on the most affected populations to minimize the impacts on them
Thoroughly consider socio-economic vulnerabilities before drawing up their adaptation plan
Additional resources on equity for local governments :
S’outiller pour l'adaptation équitable aux changements climatique : Un continuum pour soutenir la réflexion (French only)
La transition juste : Un principe au cœur de la lutte contre les changements climatiques au Québec (French only)
Resilient healthcare systems
Government interventions can exacerbate social inequalities in healthcare if they are not aimed directly at reducing them, or if they fail to include the participation of various communities. The INSPQ recommends addressing health determinants upstream by investing in solutions that improve quality of life, such as housing, healthcare access and food security.
In fact, the regional public health departments launched the VRAC-PARC initiatives in 2019. The aim of this project is to implement adaptation measures through collaboration between public health departments and their regional partners. In concrete terms, this initiative offers support for the drafting of regional adaptation plans. VRAC-PARC also aims to produce evaluations of regional populations’ health risk or vulnerability to climate change.
To learn more about the VRAC-PARC project, see the following webpage:
Prioritizing northern populations
Although some mapping resources for decision support have been developed, data on climate risks specific to northern regions is limited. Existing climatic data deals mainly with southern Quebec and is not keyed to northern realities. It’s important that local governments and Indigenous communities participate in and control the collection, sharing and updating of data. The government must provide long-term funding and equitable access to this information.
In addition, funding programs for maintaining the built environment in the north need to be adjusted to better meet the specific needs. These programs do not currently take local particularities into account, such as short construction seasons, the need to involve Indigenous peoples in the decision-making process, and the need to hire skilled labour in the north. The government should invest more, keeping climate-related challenges and the consequences of colonialism in mind.
It’s crucial to update policies, regulations, standards and building codes to ensure that northern infrastructure is resilient and adapted to specific climatic conditions. The current standards are often inadequate. Their reform would allow them to better meet the needs of northern populations while ensuring equitable access to infrastructure. It’s essential to prioritize replacement and adaptation, rather than just repairs and temporary protection. For some infrastructure, such as buildings and airstrips, repairs can delay damage, but others require complete reconstruction. It’s preferable to invest in innovative and long-term solutions, in collaboration with local governments and communities, to promote the well-being and self-determination of people in the north.
Learn more :
Taking gender inequalities into account
There are a number of ways in which gender inequalities can be taken into account.
It's essential for the government to consider gender-differentiated needs. An understanding of gender-based analysis from an intersectional perspective (GBA+) can be an asset. The concept of intersectionality explains how different forms of social inequality combine to expose certain populations to greater vulnerability to the effects of climate change. It reveals forms of marginalization that are often invisible in traditional analyses, but crucial to building fair and inclusive responses. In particular, this would help keep women and other discriminated groups safer in the face of climate change.
Women could also be better represented in decision-making bodies. This would lead governments towards egalitarian climate action that takes the disproportionate impact of climate change on women into account.
Equitable urban greening
Urban greening solutions can improve comfort and mitigate the effects of climate hazards, but it’s essential to rethink their design to reduce inequalities. This means creating multifunctional, accessible spaces that encourage social and intergenerational mixing.
Public policy must also ensure the fair distribution of ecological resources to guarantee that the most vulnerable are included. It’s a good idea to set up consultation processes upstream of urban redevelopment projects. To protect low-income populations and avoid eco-gentrification, urban greening projects could be accompanied by rent control measures and new sustainable, affordable social housing.
A resilient built environment for all
Although there are many engineering solutions available today for adapting buildings to climate-related hazards, they remain little used by the general public due to a lack of funding and the fact that vulnerability is rarely taken into account in public policy.
One solution could be to invest in the energy renovation of social and public housing (low-income housing, housing cooperatives, etc.). More energy-efficient housing would reduce the exposure of the most vulnerable people, to heat waves and cold, in particular.
Nearly 90% of tenants are housed in private rentals. However, because of their socio-economic status, they have fewer resources for adapting to climate change. It’s important to invest in the private rental sector by setting up financing programs for both homeowners and tenants. These programs should also include protection measures for those most vulnerable to climate change.
