Climate Justice and Adaptation Measures

Why do we need just adaptation strategies?

With the increasing occurrence of climate-related disasters caused by droughts, floods, storms and wildfires, the implementation of effective adaptation measures has become an important topic of discussion between policymakers.

In this regard, many scholars highlight that there is a strong connection between inequalities and vulnerability to climate change. One example is that marginalised communities often live in areas that are more at risk of being affected by, for example, flooding, and thus resulting in a need for more protection. Similarly, not recognising the special needs of these groups may also cause maladaptation, therefore, artificially putting them in increasingly greater danger in case of an emergency.

On the other hand, wealthier communities often live in more secluded and secure spaces. Furthermore, in many places around the world, these groups possess monetary resources and political connections that guarantee them better protection against any type of climate disaster.

These examples showcase that the meaning of the concept of just climate adaptation measures varies depending on the context. It can be applied to different scales (local, regional and global), and relate to different types of inequalities (racial, religious, socio-economic and more).

Case Study of the Baltic Sea Region

Why is the Baltic Sea Region relevant to be examined?

Most importantly, it is a very unique space with one of the most vulnerable and climate-impacted marine systems in the world. The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) is one of the main intergovernmental organisations in the region, which has focused on environmental issues since 1974. According to their reports, the Baltic Sea is already facing many climate-related challenges connected to the rise in water temperature, increasing sea levels, and the occurrence of less intense winters.

As a consequence of these changes, many areas in the region will become high-risk to live in due to, for instance, predicted high precipitation. These types of disasters have already increased in occurrence, as can be exemplified by the flooding in Poland in Autumn 2024. Therefore, with the increasing risks and need for resilience building, it is also key that policymakers think about making those measures equitable and targeted at vulnerable groups.

Climate Justice in National Adaptation Plans

Taking into account the knowledge about these high risks of climate change-related disasters and the importance of coordinated, just adaptation policies, what does the research show about the reality in the Baltic Sea Region?

My analysis was based on the Adaptation Justice Index framework, which allows us to look at climate justice in adaptation strategies from four perspectives: distributive, procedural, recognition and restorative. Per each dimension, there are several indicators provided, and depending on the extent of how just were the actions taken by the countries, a score from 0 to 3 is provided per indicator.

Distributive justice

Distributive justice refers to whether citizens have equal access to opportunities that would allow them to avoid climate hazards. For example, one indicator from this category could be whether or not a risk assessment was performed. There were 4 indicators in this category, meaning that countries could score from 0 to 12 points overall. The main findings were as follows:

In the context of distributive justice, the Western/Nordic countries have significantly differentiated themselves from the Eastern/Post-Communist neighbours. The former have scored between 67% and 100%. On the other hand, the latter group have scored between 25% to 42% of all the possible points. Many of the national adaptation strategies lacked risk assessment, scarcely identified vulnerable groups, and did not take the distribution of negative impacts or benefits of adaptation measures into account.

Procedural justice

Procedural justice refers to the extent to which the planning process of the adaptation strategies is inclusive and allows for fair participation of various stakeholders. For instance, one of the indicators in this category was concerned with whether the Adaptation strategy details who participates in the planning process. There were 5 indicators in this category, resulting in countries being able to score a maximum of 15 points.

When it comes to procedural justice, there was no division as in the previous category, and the results were slightly higher, with the majority of the countries scoring over 60%. The analysis has shown that a lot of countries attempted to facilitate open, continuous consultations; however, the vulnerable groups (as defined by each country in their NAPs) were only invited in one case. Similarly, most of the governments highlighted that citizens will also be taking part in the process of implementation, while it was not the case regarding evaluation and updates.

Recognition justice

Recognition justice can be understood as ensuring that each of the societal groups, especially minorities, is recognised and their adaptation needs are taken into account. One example of the indicator in this category was whether the strategy acknowledges adaptation as a way to secure basic rights. There were 3 indicators in this dimension, thus the maximum score possible to obtain was 9 points.

The lowest scores were visible in the recognition justice category, with only one country, Sweden, scoring over 50%. Unfortunately, the examined adaptation plans did not acknowledge that there are varying adaptation needs in society, depending on vulnerability level, nor that it is affected by socio-economic power structures. Additionally, most Baltic countries do not recognise that the right to adaptation is a basic human right.

Overall scoring of the Baltic Sea Region

Overall, none of the Baltic Sea Region countries has scored over 70% as calculated per the Adaptation Justice Index. Even though the majority of the analysed NAPs were very comprehensive and complex, including opinions of experts on the topic, they nevertheless do not account for vulnerable groups and differences among the citizens of the countries.

While it is possible that the differentiated adaptation needs are more recognised on the regional and local level in many of these cases, the national strategies should stand as examples of effective resilience-building measures, building strong fundamentals based on theories of climate justice.

Therefore, the most important conclusion drawn from this article is that the national governments around the Baltic Sea Region, and Europe in general, should increase their efforts to create comprehensive NAPs that correctly identify the needs of the citizens and strategies to implement those measures.

At the current moment, similarly to other UNFCCC processes, the lack of binding mechanisms and requirements disincentivises Parties from making efforts to submit the NAPs on time and consult relevant communities in the process.

How to change the current situation?

The analysis has proven that factors such as international debates, political ideologies of the ruling government and prominence of public discourse on climate all shape the extent to which climate justice is applied in adaptation measures. So how can young people get engaged and make an impact?

Firstly, the topic of (just) adaptation needs to be prioritised internationally and get the attention of global leaders. The finance gap between adaptation needs around the world and actual investments has been estimated at around US$187-359 billion per year. As this year’s COP finished with the commitment to triple adaptation finance and the adoption of a set of indicators measuring the adaptation progress, now is the perfect time for youth to advocate for the implementation and delivery of those promises. You can join panel discussions, campaign online and advocate to politicians, on a local, regional or global level.

Secondly, with the rise of far-right governments in Europe, it’s clear that the topic of climate change is becoming increasingly neglected. In addition to that, what comes with this new wave in politics is also discrimination against different vulnerable groups, such as migrants or LGBT communities. This can also strongly affect the implementation of the just adaptation measures. Therefore, it is essential that young people engage in advocacy networks, meet with their local representatives and participate in national elections.

Finally, connecting the two above-mentioned points, is the need to increase the importance of discourses on climate change in society. The engagement with international and national politicians will not bring any change until the majority of the population starts caring not only for the environment, but also for each other. With the increasing polarisation of society, we begin to treat each other with hostility and suspicion, losing the ability to feel empathy for each other.

Therefore, what young people can do is to engage with their local community and spread awareness about the importance of climate justice and climate adaptation. In this way, you can contribute towards creating a powerful bottom-up movement whose demands will not be ignored by the state leaders.