How can we foster more equitable and climate resilient communities?

In an age of austerity more people are concerned about the change in their pocket rather than the change in the climate. It is no surprise that environmental issues have fallen down the public and political agenda. The main focus of attention for many households is the fear of job losses and the challenge of keeping up with the rising cost of living. While environmental groups continue to raise awareness about climate change, the reality is many people have become disinterested in the issue. These days it seems only the wealthy middle class have the luxury to worry about global warming while the rest of the population are more worried about warming their homes and managing their energy bills. It may not be a bad thing the middle class worry more about the future of the planet. After all they tend to earn more, consume more and produce more greenhouse gases. If we are to achieve a reduction in carbon emissions then it is the wealthier members of society that will have to examine the impact of their lifestyle choices. The poor cannot afford to lead high consuming lifestyles especially when home energy is taking up an increasingly high proportion of their income, forcing many of them into fuel poverty. The challenge is to translate environmental concern into meaningful action, which can vary depending on the level effort or sacrifice that may be involved.

When it comes to adapting to a changing climate, it is the elderly, poor and the sick who will be the most vulnerable to the impacts of sudden changes in the weather such as hot, dry summers, wet and cold winters and extreme storms. As a nation we have become successful in killing off our elderly each year. Last winter there were a total of 25,700 excess deaths in England and Wales with the majority among the over 75s.

Climate change will compound existing social inequalities. The ability of individuals, households and communities to adapt and recover from a sudden disruption to their way of life caused by climate-induced weather events is dependent on a number of factors. These include access to services (e.g. transport, communication, social support and emergency relief) and whether they have the necessary knowledge, physical and financial capital and social networks to support their recovery.

If we are to build more resilient communities we need to address social inequalities while at the same time finding new ways of engaging the public on climate change issues.

More holistic approaches are needed to engage sections of the community who are often suspicious and disinterested of environmental issues. One such approach is being piloted in the Joseph Rowntree village of New Easrwick near York. The Good Life Initiative is encouraging residents from all sections of the community to make the most of what resources they have locally with regard to home, living environment and wellbeing.

Single issue approaches to address fuel poverty, obesity, climate change and loneliness do not reflect the complexity of the situation. More holistic and sophisticated approaches are needed that address multiple issues and their causes. Placing wellbeing and quality of life at the heart of community-wide initiatives could be the way forward in engaging hard to reach members of the community. This will have co-benefits including carbon reduction, improving health and wellbeing, reducing inequalities and tackling fuel poverty. Over time such approaches could assist in fostering stronger and more equitable communities that will eventually be better placed to withstand future changes in the climate.