4.4 Equity and Inclusion in Climate Change Action
Adaptation and mitigation actions, across scales, sectors and regions, that prioritise equity, climate justice, rights-based approaches, social justice and inclusivity, lead to more sustainable outcomes, reduce trade-offs, support transformative change and advance climate resilient development (high confidence). Redistributive policies across sectors and regions that shield the poor and vulnerable,, social safety nets, equity, inclusion and just transitions, at all scales can enable deeper societal ambitions and resolve trade-offs with sustainable development goals.(SDGs), particularly education, hunger, poverty, gender and energy access (high confidence). Mitigation efforts embedded within the wider development context can increase the pace, depth and breadth of emission reductions (medium confidence). Equity, inclusion and just transitions at all scales enable deeper societal ambitions for accelerated mitigation, and climate action more broadly (high confidence). The complexity in risk of rising food prices, reduced household incomes, and health and climate-related malnutrition (particularly maternal malnutrition and child undernutrition) and mortality increases with little or low levels of adaptation (high confidence).
Regions and people with considerable development constraints have high vulnerability to climatic hazards. Adaptation outcomes for the most vulnerable within and across countries and regions are enhanced through approaches focusing on equity, inclusivity, and rights-based approaches, including 3.3 to 3.6 billion people living in contexts that are highly vulnerable to climate change (high confidence). Vulnerability is higher in locations with poverty, governance challenges and limited access to basic services and resources, violent conflict and high levels of climate-sensitive livelihoods (e.g., smallholder farmers, pastoralists, fishing communities) (high confidence). Several risks can be moderated with adaptation (high confidence). The largest adaptation gaps exist among lower income population groups (high confidence) and adaptation progress is unevenly distributed with observed adaptation gaps (high confidence). Present development challenges causing high vulnerability are influenced by historical and ongoing patterns of inequity such as colonialism, especially for many Indigenous Peoples and local communities (high confidence). Vulnerability is exacerbated by inequity and marginalisation linked to gender, ethnicity, low income or combinations thereof, especially for many Indigenous Peoples and local communities (high confidence).
4.5 Near-Term Mitigation and Adaptation Actions
4.5.5 Health and Nutrition Human health will benefit from integrated mitigation and adaptation options that mainstream health into food, infrastructure, social protection, and water policies (very high confidence). Balanced and sustainable healthy diets99 and reduced food loss and waste present important opportunities for adaptation and mitigation while generating significant co-benefits in terms of biodiversity and human health (high confidence). Public health policies to improve nutrition, such as increasing the diversity of food sources in public procurement, health insurance, financial incentives, and awareness-raising campaigns, can potentially influence food demand, reduce food waste, reduce healthcare costs, contribute to lower GHG emissions and enhance adaptive capacity (high confidence). Improved access to clean energy sources and technologies, and shifts to active mobility (e.g., walking and cycling) and public transport can deliver socioeconomic, air quality and health benefits, especially for women and children (high confidence).
4.6 Co-Benefits of Adaptation and Mitigation for Sustainable Development Goals
When implementing mitigation and adaptation together, and taking trade-offs into account, multiple co-benefits and synergies for human well-being as well as ecosystem and planetary health can be realised (high confidence). There is a strong link between sustainable development, vulnerability and climate risks. Social safety nets that support climate change adaptation have strong co-benefits with development goals such as education, poverty alleviation, gender inclusion and food security. Land restoration contributes to mitigation and adaptation with synergies via enhanced ecosystem services and with economically positive returns and co-benefits for poverty reduction and improved livelihoods. Trade-offs can be evaluated and minimised by giving emphasis to capacity building, finance, technology transfer, investments; governance, development, context specific gender-based and other social equity considerations with meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and vulnerable populations. (high confidence).
4.7 Governance and Policy for Near-Term Climate Change Action
Effective municipal, national and sub-national climate institutions, such as expert and co-ordinating bodies, enable co-produced, multi-scale decision-processes, build consensus for action among diverse interests, and inform strategy settings (high confidence). This requires adequate institutional capacity at all levels (high confidence). Vulnerabilities and climate risks are often reduced through carefully designed and implemented laws, policies, participatory processes, and interventions that address context specific inequities such as based on gender, ethnicity, disability, age, location and income (high confidence). Policy support is influenced by Indigenous Peoples, businesses, and actors in civil society, including, youth, labour, media, and local communities, and effectiveness is enhanced by partnerships between many different groups in society (high confidence).Climate-related litigation is growing, with a large number of cases in some developed countries and with a much smaller number in some developing countries, and in some cases has influenced the outcome and ambition of climate governance (medium confidence).
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Drawing on diverse knowledge and partnerships, including with women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and ethnic minorities can facilitate climate resilient development and has allowed locally appropriate and socially acceptable solutions (high confidence).
4.9 Integration of Near-Term Actions Across Sectors and Systems
Mitigation and adaptation when implemented together, and combined with broader sustainable development objectives, would yield multiple benefits for human well-being as well as ecosystem and planetary health (high confidence). The range of such positive interactions is significant in the landscape of near-term climate policies across regions, sectors and systems. For example, AFOLU mitigation actions in land-use change and forestry, when sustainably implemented, can provide large-scale GHG emission reductions and removals that simultaneously benefit biodiversity, food security, wood supply and other ecosystem services but cannot fully compensate for delayed mitigation action in other sectors. Adaptation measures in land, ocean and ecosystems similarly can have widespread benefits for food security, nutrition, health and well-being, ecosystems and biodiversity. Equally, urban systems are critical, interconnected sites for climate resilient development; urban policies that implement multiple interventions can yield adaptation or mitigation gains with equity and human well-being. Integrated policy packages can improve the ability to integrate considerations of equity, gender equality and justice. Coordinated cross-sectoral policies and planning can maximise synergies and avoid or reduce trade-offs between mitigation and adaptation. Effective action in all of the above areas will require near-term political commitment and follow-through, social cooperation, finance, and more integrated cross-sectoral policies and support and actions. (high confidence).
