Reasoning & Evidence
Historically, development practices have not always considered equity. Environmental injustice occurs through increased exposure to pollution and related health risks, restricted access to essential environmental services, and the displacement or loss of land and resource rights.(57) As the pace of development quickens and creates environmental and climate threats, marginalized communities, including low-income communities, communities of color, Indigenous and Tribal nations, and immigrant communities, and older adult populations are often left bearing the environmental burden of non-equitable development.(13) Conversely, when community development practices are inclusive and equitable, these systems can foster social sustainability and proactive climate resilience in communities. Climate resilience refers to actively building the capacity to thrive in an environment characterized by constant change and threats to sustainability.(14) Social sustainability is achieved when different systems, structures, and relationships of society actively support current and future generations to build healthy and connected communities.(15) Equitable development practices support proactive climate resilience, which in turn allows for communities to develop social sustainability that ultimately drives environmental sustainability.(16) To create sustainable communities in the face of climate change, equitable and inclusive development practices must be established first to foster social sustainability and climate resilience.
The two main dimensions of social sustainability are equitable access to resources and services and the capacity of a community to have continued health and social functioning.(17) Equitable development policies create systems that address the systemic and disproportionate effects of climate change felt by certain communities through strategies such as adopting participatory approaches to co-create resilience plans with communities, joining diverse stakeholders in projects to include all perspectives, and using shared learning in climate planning to learn from the experiences of a range of communities.(13, 18) This includes practical measures like scheduling meetings at accessible times and locations (e.g., near public transit, considering childcare needs), compensating community members for their time and expertise, and partnering with social workers or social work researchers to leverage their social justice expertise. Additionally, it is essential to understand the community’s needs and priorities alongside their strengths. Community participation in environmental planning and climate mitigation efforts has been shown to foster social cohesion and connection while assuaging environmental-related social isolation.(8, 19) Communities can build collective agency and efficacy after climate-related natural disasters, strengthening social capital and creating the social infrastructure necessary to support long-term social sustainability.(16, 20, 59–60)
Examples of Community Implementation
Barcelona, Spain: The Climate and Care Refuges program is fighting the negative impacts of unequal access to green space in one of the city’s most vulnerable districts, Nou Barris. The aim of this project is to create a network of climate and care refuges in a historically marginalized neighborhood by connecting public facilities, like schools and sports centers, to green and gray infrastructure that provides public and shaded spaces to take shelter in on hot days. These spaces are designed by local residents with a prioritization on including the participation of marginalized populations. Through this program, climate refugees are supported by the city to tackle equitable climate resilience and build social networks throughout their community.
United States: The Climate Safe Neighborhoods program operates in 13 US states to address systemic issues in housing practices that have caused marginalized neighborhoods to be more vulnerable to experiencing extreme heat and flooding as a result of climate change. The program collaborates with stakeholders and residents to create changes that make communities more resilient to extreme weather effects. Examples of projects led by residents and community partners include installing urban orchards in abandoned parking lots, developing multi-use trails, and restoring forgotten forests.
Reference: The SOCIAL Framework: The Environmental Sector Supplemental Brief
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