{"id":14101,"date":"2021-11-25T13:57:27","date_gmt":"2021-11-25T13:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/?post_type=blog&p=14101"},"modified":"2021-11-25T13:57:27","modified_gmt":"2021-11-25T13:57:27","slug":"climate-optimism-and-the-building-blocks-for-equality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/news\/2021\/climate-optimism-and-the-building-blocks-for-equality\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Optimism and the Building Blocks for Equality"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Given the\u00a0build-up\u00a0surrounding COP26 and the outcome being regarded by many as underwhelming\u00a0\u2013 not least the\u00a0criticism\u00a0over the lack of representation\u00a0–\u00a0it can be\u00a0very easy\u00a0to feel despondent when thinking about the mammoth task\u00a0ahead of us.\u00a0But\u00a0it is\u00a0not all doom and gloom and\u00a0there is much to be optimistic about.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0new generation of activists\u00a0of all ages and backgrounds\u00a0are\u00a0driving change and holding governments, businesses, and the public to account, and best of all\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0finally being listened to.\u00a0Conversations around the severity of climate change, what needs to be done, and how it can be done are\u00a0now\u00a0permeating all corners of life on a scale\u00a0as\u00a0never\u00a0before.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are finally separating climate change from just\u00a0\u2018science and nature\u2019\u00a0and seeing it for how interdependent and intertwined with every single aspect of society it is, whether that be economics, housing, communities, health \u2013 the list goes on.\u00a0This\u00a0allows us to\u00a0consider the\u00a0inequality\u00a0of climate change, helped by publications such as the \u2018Inequality in a Future Wales\u2019 report by the Future Generations Commissioner.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sadly,\u00a0some will feel the impacts of climate change far more acutely than others, and unsurprisingly\u00a0the heaviest burden is likely to fall\u00a0on\u00a0those who have contributed the least to current emissions.\u00a0Recognising these inequalities and the extent of the work that needs to be done\u00a0gives us a unique opportunity to almost\u00a0start from scratch\u00a0and\u00a0re-set the dial, addressing\u00a0many of the equality issues we face as a\u00a0housing\u00a0sector.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Retrofit projects and new developments can be designed and implemented with community consultation, enabling us to not only respond to the needs of the people we serve, but build community engagement, trust and resilience. Creating tenant and community climate networks can increase community cohesion, bridging existing divides and ensuring all voices and opinions are heard. The power this has is evident with the recent Blaenau Gwent Climate Assembly<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 the first of its kind\u00a0in Wales\u00a0which\u00a0brought together a\u00a0representation of people from various demographics to answer the question of \u2018what should and can be done?\u2019.\u00a0The recommendations taken forward from this assembly included\u00a0training people to work in sustainability\u00a0focused roles and ensuring that all new stock is built using the latest sustainable technologies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

New housing stock can be built to be inclusive of all backgrounds and\u00a0communities,\u00a0addressing issues of overcrowding and lack of housing for multigenerational living. Consulting with disabled people during the development process can\u00a0ensure\u00a0homes are accessible\u00a0and\u00a0appropriate in\u00a0size, but crucial details\u00a0are not\u00a0overlooked.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New stock and retrofit projects can\u00a0provide\u00a0warmer, more insulated homes,\u00a0incorporating green and renewable energy sources\u00a0to help\u00a0alleviate fuel poverty\u00a0whilst simultaneously reducing emissions.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, these ideas aren\u2019t just pipe dreams – they are very tangible possibilities. The recently announced\u00a0Co-Operation agreement between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>sets out\u00a0an amplified ambition\u00a0for Wales to be net-zero by\u00a02035, 15 years ahead of the UK 2050 commitment. This,\u00a0combined with the announcement of a W<\/span><\/span>hite Paper on the right to adequate housing,\u00a0can ensure that everyone has sustainable and\u00a0good quality\u00a0housing that considers\u00a0diverse needs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The climate crisis is predicted to displace<\/span>\u00a01.2\u00a0billion people by 2050<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span> due to droughts, rising sea levels and other extreme weather events. The countries facing the worst effects are those who have contributed the least to emissions and furthermore have received the least support to effectively respond to the impacts caused by the emissions of the Global North. As one of the world\u2019s largest emitters we have a responsibility to provide refuge for displaced people and build on our work in becoming a Nation of Sanctuary, welcoming some of those who have been displaced due to climate change and providing safe\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"homes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The time to address\u00a0the climate crisis\u00a0is\u00a0now and\u00a0it\u2019s crucial we\u00a0ensure an equitable response.\u00a0This way,\u00a0no\u00a0one gets left behind in the race to green.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not only do we have the tools to build our response to the climate crisis as a nation, but we also have a rare opportunity to\u00a0build it on an even,\u00a0equitable\u00a0foundation. There\u00a0is\u00a0almost a\u00a0feverish optimism for the future:\u00a0it\u00a0really does feel like a pivotal moment in not only tackling the climate crisis, but also building\u00a0a better and more inclusive world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u00a0are we waiting for?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Given the\u00a0build-up\u00a0surrounding COP26 and the outcome being regarded by many as underwhelming\u00a0\u2013 not least the\u00a0criticism\u00a0over the lack of representation\u00a0–\u00a0it can be\u00a0very easy\u00a0to feel despondent when thinking about the mammoth task\u00a0ahead of us.\u00a0But\u00a0it is\u00a0not all doom and gloom and\u00a0there is much to be optimistic about.\u00a0 A\u00a0new generation of activists\u00a0of all ages and backgrounds\u00a0are\u00a0driving change and holding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"temporary-categorisation-from-im":[115],"class_list":["post-14101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","temporary-categorisation-from-im-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14101\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14101"},{"taxonomy":"temporary-categorisation-from-im","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taipawb.org\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/temporary-categorisation-from-im?post=14101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}