Takeaways from the First Global Forum for Climate Justice

As a recent graduate from McMaster University, who decided to pursue a career in the sustainability sector during her last year of school, everything I’ve experienced as an intern at the Sustainable Capacity Foundation (SCF) has been pretty new to me. At the end of my undergraduate degree I was struggling to decide what passion to pursue, but after deeply reflecting on what I enjoy most, I decided to prioritise my passion for protecting the environment! Working at SCF introduced me to the Faithfully Green Fund and the Black, Indigenous, and Person of Colour (BIPOC) Fellowship which are two amazing opportunities for Ottawans who care about creating a sustainable future. My internship, which runs through Eco-Internships, also sponsored me to go to the Global Forum for Climate Justice which was held in Vancouver this year! My first ever work trip was October 11-13 (2023) for this international conference hosted by Adler University. It had a wide range of attendees, from entrepreneurs, to politicians, to university students, to interns like me! It included topics such as the shared responsibilities of climate justice and how to pave the way for better advocacy. There were many key takeaways which I’ve summarized here so you can “attend” the conference too!

Throughout our discussions, a clear theme emerged: advocating for climate justice can be hard. Not just because of the people who don’t believe the consensus among climate scientists worldwide, or the people who ignore climate predictions because it’s scary to talk about. It’s hard because many of the attendees had dedicated their entire lives to studying and advocating for climate justice, and they’d been screaming what they learnt at the top of their lungs, but still their voices weren’t loud enough. 

There was a consensus that the government has a key role to play in advancing change. We need better policies that limit the degradation of the environment and its species. Some may argue that the government already has a lot of issues to deal with, and climate change is a “future issue”. But, in one way or another, all of our core issues are interconnected. The housing crisis relates to the homeless crisis, which affects the healthcare system and is also impacted by immigration rates and discrimination. The government has significant investments in all of these streams, but they fail to recognize that climate change exacerbates all of them. The environment we live in is intrinsically connected with all aspects of our lives.   

The housing crisis is a primary issue affecting Canadians today. Many factors contribute to high housing costs, including climate change; as extreme weather events become more common, populations will be continuously displaced from their homes, increasing the demand for affordable housing. This displacement can also increase homelessness while also disproportionately harming people without housing. 

The links between many of our social issues are evident and can also be exacerbated depending on race. Environmental racism causes communities to be disproportionately affected by policies regarding the environment (for example, where major polluting factories are built). This can significantly skew the disadvantaged communities’ perspective on the environment, making it less likely that they pursue work in the environmental sector. This is something that the Sustainable Capacity Foundation’s BIPOC Fellowship directly addresses. Their mission is to (financially) support BIPOC leaders in the non-profit environmental sector to encourage their presence in this space- if you want to learn more about the fellowship click here. 

Knowing this, some people still argue that it’s not worth it from an economic point of view. To that, Senator Rosa Galvez (Québec) asks “Well how much will climate change cost us if we do nothing?” The Canadian Climate Institute indicates that from 2015-2025 the national GDP lost $25 billion as a result of compounding climate shocks (i.e. storms, floods, and fires). This means that if Canada’s climate shocks didn't continue to worsen past 2015, we would be $25 billion richer. While there is always uncertainty in investments, it is clear that climate change is currently costing us a fortune. Senator Rosa also says “for every dollar invested in climate change mitigation we should see a $10-30 return” though the triple dividend of resilience analysis.

Although halting anthropogenic climate change can sound daunting, its solutions are found through the creativity, innovation, and connection with nature that is rooted in humanity. Sustainability is the overarching term that encompasses these solutions - with a goal of sustaining the world we’ve created for future generations. It sheds a positive light on the situation and asks, how can we improve our practices to make them more efficient and eco-friendly? There’s already been a lot of research into these questions, so let’s propose some answers for the housing stream.  

Cities must be densified and these areas should have extra protection from extreme weather events. Also buildings should be run and be made more sustainably. So many great designs that prioritise sustainability have been invented but they haven’t been implemented to the extent that they should. Buildings can be more sustainable in terms of location, design, energy usage, and insulation which all make a big difference. If you’re interested in helping your community become more sustainable, the Sustainable Capacity Foundation has developed a Faithfully Green Fund alongside Greening Sacred Spaces Ottawa to loan faith spaces the capital needed to complete green retrofit projects (i.e. HVAC updates, installing extra insulation, solar panels, heat pumps etc.) for their buildings! To learn more about this visit their website. 

At the end of the conference, we asked ourselves, what is our overall goal? To cap international greenhouse gas emissions? To ensure global warming stays under 3℃? Or should it be to foster a better connection with the natural world? Chief Leanne Joe brought up this point and it was shocking. Instead of solving the climate crisis which is a very daunting task, why not look at it from a positive light and think about how we can live in harmony with nature, and give it the respect it deserves? 

This also leads us to think about our goals in life. Is your goal to make as much money as possible? Spread love to the people you meet? Or connect with the world around you? Scientists have never found that money buys happiness, but they have found that close relationships and a connection with nature do. 

Steven from the Anti-Racism Coalition says that “people feel more alive when they contribute to society”. Engaging with issues you feel passionate about and working towards a goal that will benefit you and your community can give your life purpose. For me, it’s climate justice and building a sustainable future. What is it for you?

Shania Ramharrack-Maharaj is an intern with the Sustainable Capacity Foundation.