Breaking News: “Care-Climate Nexus” Project Aims to Address Worsening Crises
In a groundbreaking initiative, the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre and a group of feminist economists and climate scientists, has launched the “Care-Climate Nexus” project. This ambitious research project seeks to address the interlinked crises of climate change and the care crisis, which are threatening the well-being of individuals, communities, and the planet.
The project’s primary objectives are to map the conceptual links between climate change and care, and to inform and support policymakers in incorporating care into climate policy. The researchers argue that the undervaluing of care and nature has led to the worsening of both crises, and that a new approach is needed to address these interconnected challenges.
According to the project’s findings, the care crisis refers to a society’s capacity to maintain livelihoods in households, raise children, and sustain communities. This crisis is often overlooked, but it is closely linked to the climate crisis, which is caused by the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to excessive exploitation of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes.
The researchers emphasize that the care-climate nexus is not just a practical concern but also an ethical and political one. It involves recognizing that everything we do to maintain, continue, and repair our world is significant and crucial for life on Earth.
The project’s findings highlight the need to value care work, which is often performed by women and girls, and to recognize the importance of unpaid care work in sustaining livelihoods and economic activity. The researchers also stress the need to protect the rights of farm workers, who are often overlooked, and to address the impact of climate change on the provision of care.
The “Care-Climate Nexus” project’s findings will be presented at the upcoming annual Conference of the Parties (COP) in November, which will focus on climate finance. The researchers hope to emphasize the importance of better resourced caring economies as a way to build climate resilience.
As the world grapples with the challenges posed by climate change, it is essential to recognize the interconnectedness of these crises and to develop a new approach that prioritizes care and sustainability. The “Care-Climate Nexus” project is a crucial step in this direction, and its findings have the potential to shape the future of climate policy and sustainable development.