The climate crisis is often described as the biggest threat facing humanity — but rather than an isolated issue, climate change amplifies and is exacerbated by other global threats. Recent years have seen a return of ‘older’ risks such as inflation, a cost-of-living crisis and the threat of nuclear warfare following COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. These threats are amplified and potentially multiplied by the emerging risks of climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, and a shrinking window for climate policies that put us on track for the 1.5°C Paris target.1
The World Economic Forum’s latest Global Risks report highlights that while the cost-of-living crisis is ranked as the most severe global risk globally over the next two years, climate and environmental risks will dominate in the next ten years, with biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse one of the fastest growing risks in the next decade. In fact, climate and environmental risks are at the center of global risks perceptions over the next decade - and they’re also the risks we’re least prepared for. Climate change and nature loss are closely interlinked, and a failure to tackle both of them will result in compound risks which could threaten food security and livelihoods worldwide. There is now a growing divergence between what is scientifically necessary to reach Net Zero, and what is politically feasible.1
To tackle the climate crisis effectively, we must engage and involve historically under-represented groups and those most affected by the climate crisis. Climate justice and intersectionality should be at the heart of our efforts: While the public’s understanding of climate justice is limited, its principles are largely shared. In our communication, local examples can raise awareness of the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized groups, such as the disproportionate placement of fossil fuel infrastructure and air pollution in low-income communities.2 Intersectionality acknowledges that individuals from different backgrounds are affected differently by environmental issues due to factors such as race, gender, class, disability and education. These factors can overlap and create complex social identities and vulnerability to climate impacts.3
Leah Thomas
What is Intersectionality?
The Combahee River Collective, a Black Feminist group of the 60's, argued that if we fought for the most marginalized in society, then everyone would benefit - because their freedom would necessitate the destruction of multiple systems of oppression. When it comes to the climate crisis, that ethos carries over because those who are the least responsible for the climate crisis and environmental injustices — such as increased air pollution, water pollution and food insecurity — face the brunt of both. We cannot take a top-down approach to addressing the climate crisis and only focus on the fate of the future, when the reality for many now is already dire and compounded with things like income inequality and the fight for racial and gender justice.
We have a better shot of protecting our future if we address the realities of the inequity many people face in regards to environmental outcomes. Our fight for the planet cannot be separated from the fight for its people all over the world — especially when frontline communities have been advocating for change for decades, without always having support from the broader environmental community. The time is now to take an intersectional approach to climate action, where everyone has a seat at the table and the realities of environmental injustice in the present, receives equal support to ensure we create a future that's brighter.
Intersectional environmentalism argues that the same systems of oppression that oppress people also oppress and degrade the planet. When a nation, such as one in the Global North, prioritizes extractive industries and profit over the planet, then it will likely also have interlinked social inequality. Degrading the planet also requires overlooking the negative impact on people, whether in the present or the near future. Intersectional Environmentalism also aims to create space for a more complete and inclusive retelling of environmental or natural history, one that embraces all cultural contributors to sustainability and environmentalism. Many Indigenous peoples worldwide have been better protectors and carers of the planet for thousands of years.
Colonization and industrialization, rooted in capitalism, were direct attacks on both people and planet and are responsible for the climate crisis we are in. It is more important now than ever that we validate Indigenous wisdom, credit its origins, infuse it into environmental education, and fully embrace different cultural values that exist as the blueprint to what is now known as "sustainability," well before that terminology existed.
By embracing these traditions and giving them a platform and space within environmental education, we will allow historically excluded groups to teach their own stories and be leaders in the environmental movement. Just as ecosystems thrive on diversity and respect for resources, we should look toward diversity as an enhancement to environmental education and advocacy.
Climate justice and intersectionality help us understand that while everyone will be impacted by the climate crisis, its effects will not be distributed equally. Africa, for example, is responsible for around 2-3% of historical emissions4, yet it is the continent most affected by climate impacts - including serious effects on food production leading to yield declines, price increases, and supply chain disruptions, fuelling conflict and migration with knock-on effects on the economy. Over the last decade, temperatures in Africa have been rising at twice the global rate, leading to more heavy rain, longer droughts, and more severe cyclones - making it a climate change hotspot. Africa is a stark example of how interconnected climate change is to other issues. Without climate action, the continent will not achieve zero hunger or gender equality - with girls being forced into early marriages due to food price increases, presenting decreased education opportunities and a decreased ability of generating independent income, all of which stemming from climate disasters.5,6
While historically colonized countries are bearing the brunt of climate impacts, richer countries carry a disproportionate responsibility: Analysis by Carbon Tracker found that the United States are responsible for a vast proportion of historical emissions (most from fossil fuels), followed by China, Russia and Brazil (the bulk of emissions in Brazil stemmed from deforestation). However, looking at cumulative emissions, the US emitted over a fifth of the global total in emissions (compared to 11% from China, which has over four times the population). The UK tops the list in Europe, together with France and Germany.7 Just as colonized countries bear an unequal burden of climate impacts, they are also being stripped of their agency and resilience by the sidelining of Indigenous stewardship. Richer countries — who are responsible for a significant portion of historical emissions — have a responsibility to recognize and support Indigenous rights. The US, China, Russia, Brazil, the UK, France, and Germany are all major contributors to the climate crisis8 — they must also be leaders in climate justice, advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous voices and their recognition in the global climate conversation.
“You can take anything — sexism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, whatever, the war — and if you really get into it, and study it and learn about it and the history of it, everything’s connected. There’d be no climate crisis if it wasn’t for racism. They’re not gonna put it [the poison and pollution] in Bel Air. They’ve got to find someplace where poor people or Indigenous people or people of color are living. They can’t fight back. And that’s why a big part of the climate movement now has to do with climate justice.”
Acknowledging the struggles and lived reality of marginalized communities is not only important in the context of climate impacts — the solutions to the crisis are often held by the very communities which have historically been silenced. Indigenous communities have a long history of living in harmony with their lands, and hold vital knowledge and perspectives that are crucial for effective climate action. Despite making up less than 6% of the world's population, Indigenous communities protect 80% of the planet's biodiversity.9 Centralizing Indigenous stewardship in climate communication is key to ensuring an inclusive and effective response to climate change.
Through centuries of close interaction with their territories, Indigenous peoples have developed complex systems of environmental management that are based on a profound understanding of local ecosystems. These practices have led to the preservation of rich biodiversity and the sequestration of vast amounts of carbon.10 While Indigenous communities are on the frontlines of climate impacts due to their close relationship with the land, they are often marginalized in climate conversations and decision-making processes11 — disregarding the wealth of knowledge and rights they hold over their ancestral lands. A failure to center Indigenous voices in climate action not only perpetuates this historical injustice, but also weakens our global response to the climate crisis.
Chris Filardi
We Need To Center Indigenous Voices
Growing up in the urban environment of the Bronx in New York City, I found myself captivated by the diverse and complex facets of the natural world. My fascination led me to pursue a career as an evolutionary biologist, a field that introduced me to Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species.' This pivotal work played an instrumental role in directing me towards studying our planet's intricate ecosystems. But as I delved deeper into this exploration, I found myself chronicling the rapid decline and extinction of these very ecosystems and the human societies that have lived in harmony with them for generations.
This alarming trend mirrors the 'tragedy of the commons' concept, which explains how shared resources are overused and depleted in societies that prioritize individual rights over collective responsibility. This self-destructive pattern, apparent in the depletion of fisheries and forests and the pollution of the atmosphere, threatens the very existence of life on earth. But this narrative began to shift with the groundbreaking work of economist Elinor Ostrom, who countered the tragedy of the commons theory with evidence-based arguments. She argued that the issue was not with the shared resources themselves, but with how society manages them — which earned her a Nobel Prize for her work.
Similarly, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples put forth the interconnectedness of individual and collective rights. This landmark declaration highlighted that Indigenous societies that respect and uphold collective rights show the most durable and resilient forms of conservation and sustainability. These shifts in understanding are now mirrored in the Global Biodiversity Framework, which recognizes the value of indigenous guardianship in protecting the world's ecosystems. This recognition is not only critical but essential in preserving biodiversity and combating the climate crisis, which demands transformative change across all sectors of society. Indigenous peoples — who represent approximately 5% of the global population yet embody over 95% of the world's languages and a deep connection to our living planet — are already living dimensions of that transformative change. Their societies serve as the constituent parts of resilient ecosystems.
While we need to acknowledge the advancements in technology and reduction of suffering in our world, we must also recognize that our mainstream societies are facing a collective identity crisis. This crisis can be addressed by returning to the vast and diverse human experience embodied within Indigenous societies. On a practical level, over a third of the land area and vast oceanic regions are most directly influenced by Indigenous collectives. These areas host about 40% of the world's intact ecological systems and a massive amount of living diversity. Recognizing and upholding the rights of Indigenous societies is not just an ethical choice, but also a necessity for maintaining the equilibrium of the planet.
Nia Tero strives to build direct partnerships with Indigenous communities to support their guardianship and nurture their collective territories. In doing so, we contribute to the emergence of a new conservation model rooted in collective care and stewardship. We want to create a resilient blueprint for future conservation efforts that respects and integrates traditional knowledge systems, cultural practices, and governance structures. We aim to empower local communities to sustainably manage their natural resources, while preserving their cultural heritage — contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive future. Indigenous peoples’ equitable respect and influence for the natural world can help manage our planet’s resources, sustain thriving natural spaces, and foster a sense of wonder and magic that enriches our collective human experience.
The concept of dualism — or the separation of humanity and nature as distinct entities — is often blamed for our loss of connection with the natural world, which is reflected in our response to the climate crisis. Biodiversity loss is an aspect of environmental change that’s often neglected in climate communications: The Earth’s lands and oceans serve as natural carbon sinks that have evolved over 4.5 billion years and absorb around half of excess emissions, which have led to ocean acidification and loss of healthy soils and wetlands. Biodiversity forms our very web of life, and we depend on it for food, water, medicine, a stable climate, and economic growth.12
Land use is the main driver of biodiversity loss, primarily for food production. But climate change is playing an increasing role as well — altering marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems worldwide and forcing animals and plants to move to higher elevations, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and up to one million species are threatened with extinction. On an international level, climate and biodiversity are tackled through two different agreements: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which work together in synergy.13
The complexity and difficulty of global negotiations like the Conference of Parties and other summits convened by the United Nations highlights the interconnectedness of climate change with numerous other social justice crises — as well as the need for intersectional solutions to tackle climate change mitigation, adaptation and justice all at the same time.14 The impacts of climate change are highly inequitable - with extreme weather events and pollution disproportionately affecting low-income and communities of color. Those groups together with migrant communities, the LGBTQ+ community, the working poor and disabled groups also have less resources to build resilience against climate impacts.15
It is now widely recognized that the root of the crisis reaches into the systems level — the very way our societies and economies are structured. In recent years, there has been a surge in research into alternative economic models that prioritize sustainability and societal well-being over mere GDP growth, our predominant measure of a country's economic success which has been found inadequate for measuring human wellbeing or societal progress. GDP measures quantity but not quality — for example, GDP might increase with high production, but it doesn't reflect if the environment is degrading, if inequalities are widening, or even the value of domestic and other unpaid labor.
Among the most influential alternative economic models is Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics,16 which visualizes the economy as a doughnut. The inner circle represents the foundational societal needs every person should have access to — such as food, water, and education. The outer circle delineates the ecological ceiling — highlighting the environmental limits we must not exceed to maintain planetary health. The space between these circles represents the safe and just operating space for humanity. Instead of focusing on endless growth, Doughnut Economics emphasizes balancing the meeting of basic human needs without overshooting our planetary boundaries. This model, among others, challenges traditional economic paradigms, pushing for a shift that recognizes the interconnectedness of social and ecological systems and urging societies to aim for a balanced, regenerative, and distributive economy.
Tim Kelly
What are Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries?
In 2019, the Global Commons Alliance set up the Earth Commission17 — an international team of natural and social scientists — to see if it was possible to create a revolution in thinking and drive a scientific breakthrough. After three intense years, the Earth Commission has done just that. By integrating natural Earth system science and social sciences for the first time, they have devised a set of clear new boundaries — like the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit for climate — for several interconnected global commons: Climate, Biosphere (both intact and managed nature), Freshwater (ground and surface), Fertilizers (phosphorus and nitrogen) and Aerosol Pollutants (air quality).18
Crucially, justice — between all people, between generations and between people and nature — is integrated for the first time within these boundaries. It’s the justice integration that marks an important evolution from the Planetary Boundaries framework. These new boundaries are called the Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries.19
In the context of this new science, Safe is defined as ensuring stable, resilient, biophysical conditions on Earth — like those of the last 10,000 years, that have allowed life on Earth, including people, to prosper. Just is defined as minimizing human and other species’ exposure to significant harm from Earth-system change, and ensuring access to resources for a dignified life and escape from poverty for everyone. The safe and just Earth System Boundaries are a clarion call to action for every company, every city and every country to urgently evolve their environmental and social goals in the face of worsening inequality, destruction of ecosystems and fast approaching climate tipping points.20
Everything we hold dear is at stake. An integrated, safe and just approach in all decision making and goal setting is likely to be the only way through the current polycrisis to a liveable future for everyone — no matter where they live or how wealthy they are.
In the face of the multifaceted challenges posed by the climate crisis, it’s imperative to communicate said challenges and their solutions effectively — ensuring that they resonate across the global community. The narratives we craft in our communications must reflect principles of justice, inclusivity, and the invaluable contribution of Indigenous and other marginalized communities. By doing so, we tap into universally understood values, building a sense of collective responsibility and highlighting our interconnectedness with each other and the world around us. Only when these principles resonate deeply with global audiences can we hope to mobilize the broadest section of society.
New ideas for how we run our economies and solve problems need to be easily understood by everyone. When talking about these ideas, we need to not only educate but inspire — showing possibilities beyond established paradigms and helping people imagine a different future. Effective climate communication has the power to galvanize a global movement that is motivated by shared values, and driven by a common vision of a just and sustainable world.
“We can register what is happening with satellites and scientific instruments, but can we register it in our imaginations, the most sensitive of all our devices?”
Bridging the knowledge-action gap through effective climate communication is key to reimagining our collective futures in the face of climate change. When we successfully translate scientific knowledge into accessible and engaging narratives, we empower individuals and communities to envision alternative futures and understand the role they can play in bringing them about. This is not just about disseminating data — but about crafting stories that connect the global climate crisis to local realities to inspire action.
Entering Uncharted Territory
When the IPCC’s special report on 1.5ºC was released in 2018, it presented a concept called carbon budget — a set amount of additional greenhouse gas emissions that could be added to the atmosphere while still limiting the Earth’s warming to the recommended 1.5ºC increase. The idea of a carbon budget is key — for the atmosphere, the annual rate of emissions doesn't matter.
Keep reading- World Economic Forum. The Global Risks Report 2023 - 18th Edition. Insight Report.; 2023. https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2023/
- Webster R, Powell D, Corner A. ‘Fairness’ in UK Climate Advocacy: A User’s Guide. Climate Outreach; 2022. https://climateoutreach.org/reports/fairness-climate-advocacy/
- Crenshaw K. On Intersectionality: Essential Writings. The New Press; 2017. https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/books/255
- United Nations. United Nations Fact Sheet on Climate Change - Africa is particularly vulnerable to the expected impacts of global warming. Published online 2006.
- Eastin J. Climate change and gender equality in developing states. World Dev. 2018;107:289-305. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.02.021
- Lau JD, Kleiber D, Lawless S, Cohen PJ. Gender equality in climate policy and practice hindered by assumptions. Nat Clim Change. 2021;11(3):186-192. doi:10.1038/s41558-021-00999-7
- Evans S. Analysis: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change? Carbon Brief. Published October 5, 2021. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-which-countries-are-historically-responsible-for-climate-change/
- Carbon Tracker. Home. Carbon Tracker Initiative. Accessed August 3, 2023.
- World Bank. Indigenous Peoples. Accessed August 3, 2023. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/indigenouspeoples
- Ford JD, King N, Galappaththi EK, Pearce T, McDowell G, Harper SL. The Resilience of Indigenous Peoples to Environmental Change. One Earth. 2020;2(6):532-543. doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2020.05.014
- United Nations For Indigenous Peoples. Climate Change. Accessed August 3, 2023. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/climate-change.html
- United Nations. Biodiversity - our strongest natural defense against climate change. United Nations. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity
- United Nations. A liveable future for all is possible, if we take urgent climate action: flagship UN report | UN News. UN News. Published 2023. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/03/1134777
- Mountford H. COP27: Four key storylines that will shape the climate agenda in 2023. ClimateWorks Foundation. Published 2022. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://www.climateworks.org/blog/cop27-four-key-storylines-that-will-shape-the-climate-agenda-in-2023/
- Olano LV. Communicating the Climate Crisis. Climate-XChange. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://climate-xchange.org/communicating-the-climate-crisis/
- Raworth K. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think like a 21st Century Economist. Chelsea Green Publishing; 2017.
- Global Commons Alliance. Earth Commission. Global Commons Alliance. Accessed August 4, 2023. https://globalcommonsalliance.org/alliance-projects/earth-commission/
- Global Commons Alliance. Global Commons. Global Commons Alliance. Accessed August 4, 2023. https://globalcommonsalliance.org/global-commons/
- Rockström J, Gupta J. Pioneering science reveals set of “earth system boundaries” that can secure a safe and just planet for all. Global Commons Alliance. Published January 17, 2023. Accessed August 4, 2023. https://globalcommonsalliance.org/news/global-commons-alliance/pioneering-science-reveals-set-of-earth-system-boundaries-that-can-secure-a-safe-and-just-planet-for-all/
- Rockström J, Gupta J, Qin D, et al. Safe and just Earth system boundaries. Nature. 2023;619(7968):102-111. doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06083-8
Figure 6: Global risks ranked by severity in the short- and long-term. Source: World Economic Forum.
Figure 7: Countries where people are the most and least likely to say that climate change will harm them personally. Source: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
Source: Intersectional Environmentalist
The climate crisis is often described as the biggest threat facing humanity — but rather than an isolated issue, climate change amplifies and is exacerbated by other global threats. Recent years have seen a return of ‘older’ risks such as inflation, a cost-of-living crisis and the threat of nuclear warfare following COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. These threats are amplified and potentially multiplied by the emerging risks of climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, and a shrinking window for climate policies that put us on track for the 1.5°C Paris target.1
The World Economic Forum’s latest Global Risks report highlights that while the cost-of-living crisis is ranked as the most severe global risk globally over the next two years, climate and environmental risks will dominate in the next ten years, with biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse one of the fastest growing risks in the next decade. In fact, climate and environmental risks are at the center of global risks perceptions over the next decade - and they’re also the risks we’re least prepared for. Climate change and nature loss are closely interlinked, and a failure to tackle both of them will result in compound risks which could threaten food security and livelihoods worldwide. There is now a growing divergence between what is scientifically necessary to reach Net Zero, and what is politically feasible.1
To tackle the climate crisis effectively, we must engage and involve historically under-represented groups and those most affected by the climate crisis. Climate justice and intersectionality should be at the heart of our efforts: While the public’s understanding of climate justice is limited, its principles are largely shared. In our communication, local examples can raise awareness of the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized groups, such as the disproportionate placement of fossil fuel infrastructure and air pollution in low-income communities.2 Intersectionality acknowledges that individuals from different backgrounds are affected differently by environmental issues due to factors such as race, gender, class, disability and education. These factors can overlap and create complex social identities and vulnerability to climate impacts.3
Leah Thomas
What is Intersectionality?
The Combahee River Collective, a Black Feminist group of the 60's, argued that if we fought for the most marginalized in society, then everyone would benefit - because their freedom would necessitate the destruction of multiple systems of oppression. When it comes to the climate crisis, that ethos carries over because those who are the least responsible for the climate crisis and environmental injustices — such as increased air pollution, water pollution and food insecurity — face the brunt of both. We cannot take a top-down approach to addressing the climate crisis and only focus on the fate of the future, when the reality for many now is already dire and compounded with things like income inequality and the fight for racial and gender justice.
We have a better shot of protecting our future if we address the realities of the inequity many people face in regards to environmental outcomes. Our fight for the planet cannot be separated from the fight for its people all over the world — especially when frontline communities have been advocating for change for decades, without always having support from the broader environmental community. The time is now to take an intersectional approach to climate action, where everyone has a seat at the table and the realities of environmental injustice in the present, receives equal support to ensure we create a future that's brighter.
Intersectional environmentalism argues that the same systems of oppression that oppress people also oppress and degrade the planet. When a nation, such as one in the Global North, prioritizes extractive industries and profit over the planet, then it will likely also have interlinked social inequality. Degrading the planet also requires overlooking the negative impact on people, whether in the present or the near future. Intersectional Environmentalism also aims to create space for a more complete and inclusive retelling of environmental or natural history, one that embraces all cultural contributors to sustainability and environmentalism. Many Indigenous peoples worldwide have been better protectors and carers of the planet for thousands of years.
Colonization and industrialization, rooted in capitalism, were direct attacks on both people and planet and are responsible for the climate crisis we are in. It is more important now than ever that we validate Indigenous wisdom, credit its origins, infuse it into environmental education, and fully embrace different cultural values that exist as the blueprint to what is now known as "sustainability," well before that terminology existed.
By embracing these traditions and giving them a platform and space within environmental education, we will allow historically excluded groups to teach their own stories and be leaders in the environmental movement. Just as ecosystems thrive on diversity and respect for resources, we should look toward diversity as an enhancement to environmental education and advocacy.
Climate justice and intersectionality help us understand that while everyone will be impacted by the climate crisis, its effects will not be distributed equally. Africa, for example, is responsible for around 2-3% of historical emissions4, yet it is the continent most affected by climate impacts - including serious effects on food production leading to yield declines, price increases, and supply chain disruptions, fuelling conflict and migration with knock-on effects on the economy. Over the last decade, temperatures in Africa have been rising at twice the global rate, leading to more heavy rain, longer droughts, and more severe cyclones - making it a climate change hotspot. Africa is a stark example of how interconnected climate change is to other issues. Without climate action, the continent will not achieve zero hunger or gender equality - with girls being forced into early marriages due to food price increases, presenting decreased education opportunities and a decreased ability of generating independent income, all of which stemming from climate disasters.5,6
While historically colonized countries are bearing the brunt of climate impacts, richer countries carry a disproportionate responsibility: Analysis by Carbon Tracker found that the United States are responsible for a vast proportion of historical emissions (most from fossil fuels), followed by China, Russia and Brazil (the bulk of emissions in Brazil stemmed from deforestation). However, looking at cumulative emissions, the US emitted over a fifth of the global total in emissions (compared to 11% from China, which has over four times the population). The UK tops the list in Europe, together with France and Germany.7 Just as colonized countries bear an unequal burden of climate impacts, they are also being stripped of their agency and resilience by the sidelining of Indigenous stewardship. Richer countries — who are responsible for a significant portion of historical emissions — have a responsibility to recognize and support Indigenous rights. The US, China, Russia, Brazil, the UK, France, and Germany are all major contributors to the climate crisis8 — they must also be leaders in climate justice, advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous voices and their recognition in the global climate conversation.
“You can take anything — sexism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, whatever, the war — and if you really get into it, and study it and learn about it and the history of it, everything’s connected. There’d be no climate crisis if it wasn’t for racism. They’re not gonna put it [the poison and pollution] in Bel Air. They’ve got to find someplace where poor people or Indigenous people or people of color are living. They can’t fight back. And that’s why a big part of the climate movement now has to do with climate justice.”
Acknowledging the struggles and lived reality of marginalized communities is not only important in the context of climate impacts — the solutions to the crisis are often held by the very communities which have historically been silenced. Indigenous communities have a long history of living in harmony with their lands, and hold vital knowledge and perspectives that are crucial for effective climate action. Despite making up less than 6% of the world's population, Indigenous communities protect 80% of the planet's biodiversity.9 Centralizing Indigenous stewardship in climate communication is key to ensuring an inclusive and effective response to climate change.
Through centuries of close interaction with their territories, Indigenous peoples have developed complex systems of environmental management that are based on a profound understanding of local ecosystems. These practices have led to the preservation of rich biodiversity and the sequestration of vast amounts of carbon.10 While Indigenous communities are on the frontlines of climate impacts due to their close relationship with the land, they are often marginalized in climate conversations and decision-making processes11 — disregarding the wealth of knowledge and rights they hold over their ancestral lands. A failure to center Indigenous voices in climate action not only perpetuates this historical injustice, but also weakens our global response to the climate crisis.
Chris Filardi
We Need To Center Indigenous Voices
Growing up in the urban environment of the Bronx in New York City, I found myself captivated by the diverse and complex facets of the natural world. My fascination led me to pursue a career as an evolutionary biologist, a field that introduced me to Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species.' This pivotal work played an instrumental role in directing me towards studying our planet's intricate ecosystems. But as I delved deeper into this exploration, I found myself chronicling the rapid decline and extinction of these very ecosystems and the human societies that have lived in harmony with them for generations.
This alarming trend mirrors the 'tragedy of the commons' concept, which explains how shared resources are overused and depleted in societies that prioritize individual rights over collective responsibility. This self-destructive pattern, apparent in the depletion of fisheries and forests and the pollution of the atmosphere, threatens the very existence of life on earth. But this narrative began to shift with the groundbreaking work of economist Elinor Ostrom, who countered the tragedy of the commons theory with evidence-based arguments. She argued that the issue was not with the shared resources themselves, but with how society manages them — which earned her a Nobel Prize for her work.
Similarly, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples put forth the interconnectedness of individual and collective rights. This landmark declaration highlighted that Indigenous societies that respect and uphold collective rights show the most durable and resilient forms of conservation and sustainability. These shifts in understanding are now mirrored in the Global Biodiversity Framework, which recognizes the value of indigenous guardianship in protecting the world's ecosystems. This recognition is not only critical but essential in preserving biodiversity and combating the climate crisis, which demands transformative change across all sectors of society. Indigenous peoples — who represent approximately 5% of the global population yet embody over 95% of the world's languages and a deep connection to our living planet — are already living dimensions of that transformative change. Their societies serve as the constituent parts of resilient ecosystems.
While we need to acknowledge the advancements in technology and reduction of suffering in our world, we must also recognize that our mainstream societies are facing a collective identity crisis. This crisis can be addressed by returning to the vast and diverse human experience embodied within Indigenous societies. On a practical level, over a third of the land area and vast oceanic regions are most directly influenced by Indigenous collectives. These areas host about 40% of the world's intact ecological systems and a massive amount of living diversity. Recognizing and upholding the rights of Indigenous societies is not just an ethical choice, but also a necessity for maintaining the equilibrium of the planet.
Nia Tero strives to build direct partnerships with Indigenous communities to support their guardianship and nurture their collective territories. In doing so, we contribute to the emergence of a new conservation model rooted in collective care and stewardship. We want to create a resilient blueprint for future conservation efforts that respects and integrates traditional knowledge systems, cultural practices, and governance structures. We aim to empower local communities to sustainably manage their natural resources, while preserving their cultural heritage — contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive future. Indigenous peoples’ equitable respect and influence for the natural world can help manage our planet’s resources, sustain thriving natural spaces, and foster a sense of wonder and magic that enriches our collective human experience.
The concept of dualism — or the separation of humanity and nature as distinct entities — is often blamed for our loss of connection with the natural world, which is reflected in our response to the climate crisis. Biodiversity loss is an aspect of environmental change that’s often neglected in climate communications: The Earth’s lands and oceans serve as natural carbon sinks that have evolved over 4.5 billion years and absorb around half of excess emissions, which have led to ocean acidification and loss of healthy soils and wetlands. Biodiversity forms our very web of life, and we depend on it for food, water, medicine, a stable climate, and economic growth.12
Land use is the main driver of biodiversity loss, primarily for food production. But climate change is playing an increasing role as well — altering marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems worldwide and forcing animals and plants to move to higher elevations, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and up to one million species are threatened with extinction. On an international level, climate and biodiversity are tackled through two different agreements: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which work together in synergy.13
The complexity and difficulty of global negotiations like the Conference of Parties and other summits convened by the United Nations highlights the interconnectedness of climate change with numerous other social justice crises — as well as the need for intersectional solutions to tackle climate change mitigation, adaptation and justice all at the same time.14 The impacts of climate change are highly inequitable - with extreme weather events and pollution disproportionately affecting low-income and communities of color. Those groups together with migrant communities, the LGBTQ+ community, the working poor and disabled groups also have less resources to build resilience against climate impacts.15
It is now widely recognized that the root of the crisis reaches into the systems level — the very way our societies and economies are structured. In recent years, there has been a surge in research into alternative economic models that prioritize sustainability and societal well-being over mere GDP growth, our predominant measure of a country's economic success which has been found inadequate for measuring human wellbeing or societal progress. GDP measures quantity but not quality — for example, GDP might increase with high production, but it doesn't reflect if the environment is degrading, if inequalities are widening, or even the value of domestic and other unpaid labor.
Among the most influential alternative economic models is Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics,16 which visualizes the economy as a doughnut. The inner circle represents the foundational societal needs every person should have access to — such as food, water, and education. The outer circle delineates the ecological ceiling — highlighting the environmental limits we must not exceed to maintain planetary health. The space between these circles represents the safe and just operating space for humanity. Instead of focusing on endless growth, Doughnut Economics emphasizes balancing the meeting of basic human needs without overshooting our planetary boundaries. This model, among others, challenges traditional economic paradigms, pushing for a shift that recognizes the interconnectedness of social and ecological systems and urging societies to aim for a balanced, regenerative, and distributive economy.
Tim Kelly
What are Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries?
In 2019, the Global Commons Alliance set up the Earth Commission17 — an international team of natural and social scientists — to see if it was possible to create a revolution in thinking and drive a scientific breakthrough. After three intense years, the Earth Commission has done just that. By integrating natural Earth system science and social sciences for the first time, they have devised a set of clear new boundaries — like the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit for climate — for several interconnected global commons: Climate, Biosphere (both intact and managed nature), Freshwater (ground and surface), Fertilizers (phosphorus and nitrogen) and Aerosol Pollutants (air quality).18
Crucially, justice — between all people, between generations and between people and nature — is integrated for the first time within these boundaries. It’s the justice integration that marks an important evolution from the Planetary Boundaries framework. These new boundaries are called the Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries.19
In the context of this new science, Safe is defined as ensuring stable, resilient, biophysical conditions on Earth — like those of the last 10,000 years, that have allowed life on Earth, including people, to prosper. Just is defined as minimizing human and other species’ exposure to significant harm from Earth-system change, and ensuring access to resources for a dignified life and escape from poverty for everyone. The safe and just Earth System Boundaries are a clarion call to action for every company, every city and every country to urgently evolve their environmental and social goals in the face of worsening inequality, destruction of ecosystems and fast approaching climate tipping points.20
Everything we hold dear is at stake. An integrated, safe and just approach in all decision making and goal setting is likely to be the only way through the current polycrisis to a liveable future for everyone — no matter where they live or how wealthy they are.
In the face of the multifaceted challenges posed by the climate crisis, it’s imperative to communicate said challenges and their solutions effectively — ensuring that they resonate across the global community. The narratives we craft in our communications must reflect principles of justice, inclusivity, and the invaluable contribution of Indigenous and other marginalized communities. By doing so, we tap into universally understood values, building a sense of collective responsibility and highlighting our interconnectedness with each other and the world around us. Only when these principles resonate deeply with global audiences can we hope to mobilize the broadest section of society.
New ideas for how we run our economies and solve problems need to be easily understood by everyone. When talking about these ideas, we need to not only educate but inspire — showing possibilities beyond established paradigms and helping people imagine a different future. Effective climate communication has the power to galvanize a global movement that is motivated by shared values, and driven by a common vision of a just and sustainable world.
“We can register what is happening with satellites and scientific instruments, but can we register it in our imaginations, the most sensitive of all our devices?”
Bridging the knowledge-action gap through effective climate communication is key to reimagining our collective futures in the face of climate change. When we successfully translate scientific knowledge into accessible and engaging narratives, we empower individuals and communities to envision alternative futures and understand the role they can play in bringing them about. This is not just about disseminating data — but about crafting stories that connect the global climate crisis to local realities to inspire action.
Figure 6: Global risks ranked by severity in the short- and long-term. Source: World Economic Forum.
Figure 7: Countries where people are the most and least likely to say that climate change will harm them personally. Source: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
Source: Intersectional Environmentalist
Entering Uncharted Territory
When the IPCC’s special report on 1.5ºC was released in 2018, it presented a concept called carbon budget — a set amount of additional greenhouse gas emissions that could be added to the atmosphere while still limiting the Earth’s warming to the recommended 1.5ºC increase. The idea of a carbon budget is key — for the atmosphere, the annual rate of emissions doesn't matter.
Keep reading- World Economic Forum. The Global Risks Report 2023 - 18th Edition. Insight Report.; 2023. https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2023/
- Webster R, Powell D, Corner A. ‘Fairness’ in UK Climate Advocacy: A User’s Guide. Climate Outreach; 2022. https://climateoutreach.org/reports/fairness-climate-advocacy/
- Crenshaw K. On Intersectionality: Essential Writings. The New Press; 2017. https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/books/255
- United Nations. United Nations Fact Sheet on Climate Change - Africa is particularly vulnerable to the expected impacts of global warming. Published online 2006.
- Eastin J. Climate change and gender equality in developing states. World Dev. 2018;107:289-305. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.02.021
- Lau JD, Kleiber D, Lawless S, Cohen PJ. Gender equality in climate policy and practice hindered by assumptions. Nat Clim Change. 2021;11(3):186-192. doi:10.1038/s41558-021-00999-7
- Evans S. Analysis: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change? Carbon Brief. Published October 5, 2021. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-which-countries-are-historically-responsible-for-climate-change/
- Carbon Tracker. Home. Carbon Tracker Initiative. Accessed August 3, 2023.
- World Bank. Indigenous Peoples. Accessed August 3, 2023. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/indigenouspeoples
- Ford JD, King N, Galappaththi EK, Pearce T, McDowell G, Harper SL. The Resilience of Indigenous Peoples to Environmental Change. One Earth. 2020;2(6):532-543. doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2020.05.014
- United Nations For Indigenous Peoples. Climate Change. Accessed August 3, 2023. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/climate-change.html
- United Nations. Biodiversity - our strongest natural defense against climate change. United Nations. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity
- United Nations. A liveable future for all is possible, if we take urgent climate action: flagship UN report | UN News. UN News. Published 2023. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/03/1134777
- Mountford H. COP27: Four key storylines that will shape the climate agenda in 2023. ClimateWorks Foundation. Published 2022. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://www.climateworks.org/blog/cop27-four-key-storylines-that-will-shape-the-climate-agenda-in-2023/
- Olano LV. Communicating the Climate Crisis. Climate-XChange. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://climate-xchange.org/communicating-the-climate-crisis/
- Raworth K. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think like a 21st Century Economist. Chelsea Green Publishing; 2017.
- Global Commons Alliance. Earth Commission. Global Commons Alliance. Accessed August 4, 2023. https://globalcommonsalliance.org/alliance-projects/earth-commission/
- Global Commons Alliance. Global Commons. Global Commons Alliance. Accessed August 4, 2023. https://globalcommonsalliance.org/global-commons/
- Rockström J, Gupta J. Pioneering science reveals set of “earth system boundaries” that can secure a safe and just planet for all. Global Commons Alliance. Published January 17, 2023. Accessed August 4, 2023. https://globalcommonsalliance.org/news/global-commons-alliance/pioneering-science-reveals-set-of-earth-system-boundaries-that-can-secure-a-safe-and-just-planet-for-all/
- Rockström J, Gupta J, Qin D, et al. Safe and just Earth system boundaries. Nature. 2023;619(7968):102-111. doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06083-8
