APCASO position paper – Climate justice : overdue but not impossible

Climate change poses a fundamental threat to human health, affecting both the physical environment as well as aspects of natural and human systems. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report, up to 3.6 billion people live in areas that are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change : the Asia-Pacific region is part of it. The greatest bruden is borne by the most vulnerable communities and marginalized groups, including women and girls, children, people of diverse sexuality, Indigenous and tribal communities, forest dependent communities, ethnic minorities, low-income communities, people with disabilities, migrants and displaced persons, older populations, and those with underlying or existing health conditions, who are disproportionately affected by the climate change consequences.

APCASO, in this position paper produced with the support of L’Initiative, strongly advocates for a climate justice approach to tackling climate change, one that moves beyond science and economics to address historic injustices and systemic inequalities and require not just scientific solutions but also political action.