In his first major foreign policy speech David Lammy, the new Foreign Secretary, took the opportunity to signal the UK government’s ambition to put the climate crisis at the front of it’s engagement on the global stage. He recognised that this is the central geopolitical challenge facing the world – and that “Time and again, it is the most vulnerable who bear the brunt of this crisis.”
In tackling the Climate Crisis we must not leave anyone behind
Posted on:
Thursday, September 19th, 2024
The Foreign Secretary went on to say “There is no pathway to countries’ development aspirations without climate resilience, action on the nature crisis and access to clean energy, and no pathway to a sustainable future without development that leaves no one behind.” As people with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis, this seems to be a welcome signal to a new approach, recognising that climate justice and finance must be prioritised for those most affected by climate change and who have often done the least to contribute towards it.
Kirsty Smith, CEO of CBM UK, said “As an organisation committed to ensuring that no one is left behind, the Foreign Secretary’s commitment to inclusive and locally led climate action is very encouraging. With his focus on reaching those most left behind and recognising that “putting local communities at the centre of decision-making leads to better outcomes”, CBM looks forward to how this will be put into action by the UK government and how he will ensure, within all international development and diplomacy efforts, that everyone including people with disabilities will have equal access to the green energy transition and access to the finance needed to tackle the climate crisis in their particular context.”
CBM UK, alongside our CBM Global federation colleagues, has put confronting the climate crisis at the centre of our strategy, with a core goal to build inclusive and climate resilient communities, and to do this with the most marginalised. Our partnerships are key to this, both with the disability movement and their representative organisations, such as International Disability Alliance, as well as with climate justice activists such as Climate Action Network UK (and its international nodes).
You can read more about how CBM UK and our partners are working to tackle the climate crisis here: Climate Justice and Climate Change Charity | CBM UK
And you can watch a video highlighting the impact of climate change in Turkana, Kenya, and the response of Ngitiekara disabled self help group, alongside CBM and our partner Kenya Red Cross: Including People with Disabilities in Responses to the Climate Crisis
Header image: Lokopu is a fisherman with a physical disability in Turkana, Kenya. Due to the region’s drought, caused by climate change, there are fewer fish and his livelihood has been affected. Credit: Re.define Communications
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