Climate Change and Inequality
This research stream explores the intersections between inequality and climate change in the Global South. The project conceptualises inequality broadly, including issues of economic inequality and inequality associated with gender, race, ethnicity, and geography.
These intersections play out along three main axes. First, the responsibility for causing climate change is not shared by all humans, as countries in the global North and wealthy people have much higher carbon emissions per capita than the global average. Second, there are inequalities in the impacts of climate change, which are disproportionately experienced by people in the global South. Third, there is inequality in access to resources to address climate change for many countries in the global South, but particularly for lower income groups.
There are four overarching research questions within this project:
- Is the ‘just transition’ (discourse and practice) in the global South, as it is currently unfolding, exacerbating or reducing inequality?
- How can a gendered approach to just transition help reduce inequality through concepts of care and social reproduction?
- What kinds of macroeconomic policy can support structural transformation, redistribution, and decarbonisation in global South countries?
- How can South-South solidarities inform energy and climate policy?
Featured article
The Political Economy of Social Ownership in South Africa
This paper explores what social ownership means in South Africa today—drawing on expert insights and real-world case studies across multiple sectors. It defines social ownership, identifies what makes these models successful, and shows how they can play a powerful role in reducing inequality.