As the climate emergency grows, it is estimated an additional 132 million people will be pushed into poverty by 2030 as a result of climate change.
For CARE International, climate justice is about realizing a future in which the poorest and most marginalized people have significantly improved their wellbeing and can enjoy their human rights through greater resilience to the climate emergency, increased equality and a global temperature rise that is limited to 1.5°C.
Our goal is that by 2030, 25 million poor and marginalized people, particularly women and girls, have strengthened their resilience and adaptive capacities to the effects of the climate emergency.
Though the climate emergency affects all of us, it exacerbates existing inequalities, such as those caused by wealth, age, race, and gender.
People who rely on biodiversity for survival are no longer able to produce food; people who can only afford basic shelter have their homes destroyed through repeated cyclones; people who don't have any insurance or savings must rebuild their lives from nothing after disasters.
Reversals in global carbon emissions have not been reached and global temperatures keep rising. The impact of this climate emergency increases the gaps between rich and poor and has a disproportionate impact on women and girls.
For example, as resources diminish, women and girls often take on more domestic and care work. In the event of a disaster, women can face increased threats of violence, sexual, or economic abuse and younger girls can be sent into early or forced marriage as their families face extreme economic hardship. Women have slower economic recovery compared to men and generally experience poorer reproductive and maternal health outcomes due to food insecurity, exhaustion, heat, and waterborne diseases.
The greatest responsibility for causing the climate emergency lies with the rich polluting class, and primarily in countries in the Global North. The poorest 50% of the world are responsible for less than 10% of the global CO2 emissions. The global top 1% income earners, mostly men, are responsible for more than twice as much pollution as the bottom 50% income earners.
We can counteract some of this damage through robust policies, that put equality and inclusions at the heart. These must be supported by actions that help all people to increase their ability to withstand climate related shocks and stresses, and that limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
We believe that everyone has the right to live on a healthy planet. CARE International aims to strengthen the resilience of the poorest and most marginalized people on the frontlines of the climate emergency, particularly women and girls.
CARE International and our partners are well-positioned to work on these changes, due to our long-standing experience in addressing climate justice through:
Globally, our work on climate change is to help ensure that the rights of the poorest and most vulnerable people are heard at international climate emergency negotiations and when planning and delivering projects that help people adapt and become more resilient to climate shocks. This includes helping people learn new farming techniques that help them withstand the impacts of recurring disasters. It also means securing people’s rights and access to valuable natural resources. With the right knowledge and sufficient means, people can take the necessary steps to safeguard their own lives, incomes and futures. And by strengthening women’s voices, we ensure they have a stronger say in decisions that affect their lives.
Read our Vision 2030 Impact Area Strategy for Climate Justice here and visit the CARE Climate Justice Center for more information.
Women and girls bear the brunt of the climate crisis and often design the solutions, yet only 8 out of the 78 world leaders participating in COP29 are women: while the Conference of Parties (COP) strive to be an inclusive summit, the negotiation table remains far from diverse.
As world leaders gather in Baku for COP29, CARE International urges developed countries and high emitters to commit $1 trillion annually in public finance to support developing nations in addressing loss and damage and adapting to prevent uncontrolled global warming.
Millions of Somalis are on the brink of starvation as hunger across Somalia intensifies. “The worsening hunger crisis in Somalia will have devastating consequences for women and girls," says Ummy Dubow, CARE Somalia Country Director.
CARE's research shows that extreme weather events threaten food security for up to five years, disproportionately affecting women. Through partnerships, CARE has empowered over 5 million people to prepare for climate change, promoting long-term, equitable disaster response.
At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, negotiations center on setting a new climate finance goal (NCQG) for post-2025, with demands ranging from $1 trillion to $5 trillion annually to support developing countries' climate actions.
Join us in supporting a whole generation of women and girls who are on the frontline of the impacts AND solutions to the climate emergency.
The impacts of climate change are increasingly obvious, with 2023 as the hottest year on record—by far. In this report, CARE looks at lethal interconnections between climate change, inequality, gender and hunger.
The report outlines CARE's contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) between 2015 and 2024.
The Rapid Gender Analysis Report conducted by CARE in Gatumba, Burundi, in April 2024, highlights the profound impact of recent El Niño-induced floods on the local population, particularly on women and girls.
In FY2023, CARE worked around the world, contributing to saving lives, fighting poverty, and increasing social justice.
