Hello User
Sign in
Hello
Sign Out
Subscribe
Next Story
Business News/ Opinion / Views/  The climate calamity always seems distant, and that needs to change

The climate calamity always seems distant, and that needs to change

We should spell out its impact on people’s lives for the urgency of a collective response to reach all levels

Our failure to communicate the gravity of the climate crisis is at the heart of why much indifference prevails

A few weeks ago, we met with a senior policymaker to brainstorm about how to help his state fight the effects of climate change. As we passionately put forth multiple solutions to him, he seemed unfazed by the climate crisis. Small land holding farmers were flocking out to larger cities because soil erosion was making the land untenable in that state. The government was negotiating with neighbouring states because access to clean water was a rarity in cities and villages alike. And natural disasters were only too frequent, demanding more central government assistance. Thus we were surprised when he treated the climate crisis as a ‘tree and forest’ problem. “The environment is important, but hunger and housing are much more pressing for the poor in our state," he said without flinching. That issues of poverty and climate were fast converging went missing in his analysis.

A few weeks ago, we met with a senior policymaker to brainstorm about how to help his state fight the effects of climate change. As we passionately put forth multiple solutions to him, he seemed unfazed by the climate crisis. Small land holding farmers were flocking out to larger cities because soil erosion was making the land untenable in that state. The government was negotiating with neighbouring states because access to clean water was a rarity in cities and villages alike. And natural disasters were only too frequent, demanding more central government assistance. Thus we were surprised when he treated the climate crisis as a ‘tree and forest’ problem. “The environment is important, but hunger and housing are much more pressing for the poor in our state," he said without flinching. That issues of poverty and climate were fast converging went missing in his analysis.

To climate experts, this is shocking. How could a policymaker not see the connection between climate change and the hardships it would impose on our most vulnerable, the poor? How could policymakers play down the apocalyptic future that global warming can bring? For most of us deeply engaged in governance matters, it is obvious. And the response of policymakers is unsurprising.

Hi! You’re reading a premium article! Subscribe now to continue reading.

Subscribe now
Already subscribed?

Premium benefits

  • 35+ Premium articles every day
  • Specially curated Newsletters every day
  • Access to 15+ Print edition articles every day
  • Subscriber only webinar by specialist journalists
  • E Paper, Archives, select The Wall Street Journal & The Economist articles
  • Access to Subscriber only specials : Infographics I Podcasts

Unlock 35+ well researched
premium articles every day

Access to global insights with
100+ exclusive articles from
international publications

Get complimentary access to
3+ investment based apps

TRENDLYNE Get One Month GuruQ plan at Rs 1
FINOLOGY Free finology subscription for 1 month.
SMALLCASE 20% off on all smallcases

5+ subscriber only newsletters
specially curated by the experts

Free access to e-paper and
WhatsApp updates

To climate experts, this is shocking. How could a policymaker not see the connection between climate change and the hardships it would impose on our most vulnerable, the poor? How could policymakers play down the apocalyptic future that global warming can bring? For most of us deeply engaged in governance matters, it is obvious. And the response of policymakers is unsurprising.

The climate crisis is the principal battle of our generation. Yet, it has been represented in an unrelatable way for decades. When one thinks of this crisis, images of melting snow caps and forest fires dominate the mind and these are so far removed from our everyday existence that it tends to make climate issues seem too distant, even irrelevant.

To salvage this battle and make climate a pressing concern for all of us that needs to be addressed immediately, we need to look at it through the following lens:

Rethink who the climate shift is affecting. The World Bank reported that the world will see 216 million climate refugees by 2050. Northeast India is likely to see as many as 40 million of these refugees coming into their states over the next 20 years. This migration will not just be across national borders; as natural disasters increase in intensity and frequency, states like Odisha and West Bengal will probably see large numbers of residents move elsewhere. Such mass migration will affect every aspect of our lives. And migration is just one element among others, including increased frequency of pandemics, fresh water scarcity, decreased agricultural productivity and much more. Climate change is attacking human survival from all angles. We need a rethink on all its components, so as to highlight how the lives of people will be affected in drastic ways. Unless we shift our climate discussion to people and how their lives will worsen, it is unlikely that we will get sufficient attention.

Reframe the focus on the gains of climate. While countries like the US and China have set net-zero targets for carbon emissions, India is yet to make any major announcement. There are intuitive economic arguments for that. Several Indian policymakers believe that moving abruptly away from coal will hold back the economy’s growth. Yet, over the next few years, more than $1 trillion is expected to be pumped into climate-friendly technologies and infrastructure. Everything from solar to regenerative farming has tremendous scope for investment and expansion. India can support its economic development by embracing the production of climate-friendly technologies, products and practices. We need to reframe how we look at our economic opportunities with climate risks taken into account.

Some states like Chhattisgarh have already started selling and procuring green fertilizers to promote regenerative farming. Others like Madhya Pradesh are adopting solar power distribution to end energy poverty through green methods. However, rather than just clusters of success, we should embrace the economic opportunities that exist in eco-friendly technologies and look upon these as growth drivers. As costs fall, moving towards green and sustainable practices is likely to enhance economic growth. The future is green and India needs to prepare for it.

Restructure the climate crisis as a collective experience. The covid pandemic threw the world into a lurch, and from the richest to the poorest, people came together to fight this problem. One of the results of that was the introduction of a vaccine in record time. It proved that collective pain can result in groundbreaking progress. Unfortunately, our climate crisis is rarely acknowledged as a collective problem, rather than one being faced in pockets. A cyclone in West Bengal is seen as separate from a hurricane in Tamil Nadu, and both seem disconnected from fast-falling water tables. It is important to bring these tragedies together to ensure that we are able to grasp the seriousness of the issue and respond decisively.

Unless all of us feel the pain of climate change, we will continue to operate in silos while trying to address climate issues. Restructuring the urgency of the crisis, thus, is critical for the narrative to make headway. The communication of a climate disaster remains too disjointed. It needs to be woven together for it to get a prompt response.

Our failure to communicate the gravity of the climate crisis is at the heart of why much indifference prevails. Only once we can strengthen our message can we expect to get the policy-level attention it deserves. Thus, it is time to rethink, restructure and reframe the way we are addressing the climate issue. Or else, it might be too late.

Rwitwika Bhattacharya & Heena Gavit are, respectively, CEO of Swaniti Initiative; and a BJP member of the Lok Sabha from Nandurbar, Maharashtra

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.