Climate Apartheid: Politics Around Climate Change Inflicted Inequalities

Climate Apartheid: Politics Around Climate Change Inflicted Inequalities | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Climate Apartheid: Politics Around Climate Change Inflicted Inequalities JOMILIN JOHN This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2120923/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Inequality is often referred to as the phenomenon of unequal or unjust distribution of resources, wealth, opportunities, etc. among members of a given society. On the other hand, another set of inequalities exists that limit the human potential and the overall welfare of people. The government of various countries has raised these issues on national and international platforms and has come together to formulate policies, laws, and legislation to curb the same. Gender inequality, inequality of income and wealth, etc. have always dominated modern politics but the advent of Covid-19 has deepened existing inequalities hitting especially the poorest and the most vulnerable communities the hardest. Among the newly emerging forms of inequalities, the inequalities caused by climate change are the most consequential and pernicious. Even though global economic growth has lifted millions out of extreme poverty and reduced inequalities among nations, unbridled climate change threatens to set back that progress by damaging poverty eradication efforts worldwide and disproportionately affecting the poorest regions and people. In such a world, the government, policymakers, international organizations have a crucial role to play. Studies in recent times have shown how climate change is creating a rift between developed and developing nations and the importance of the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ formalized by the UNFCCC. However, very less focus is on how climate change inflicted inequalities is affecting global politics, the role of governments in tackling the same, and how these changes themselves alter the nature and state of governance. The paper seeks to study and critically analyze the inequalities caused by climate change and its future impacts with a major focus on Asia and Africa. The global climate politics and how it changed the nature of state and governance. Comparing the policies and steps taken by the government of India and other countries to mitigate these climate change inflicted inequalities under the United Nations SDG 10: “Reduce inequality within and among countries” and SDG 13: “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”. Finally discussing how to reduce these inequalities targeting the necessity of contriving policies based on deeper analyses of the concrete circumstances of a country. Following the promise of 'leaving no one behind', people-centered approaches are at the core of our response. To conclude, the vicious cycle of climate change, political inaction, and inequality need to be broken if momentous steps to preserve the Earth and the dignity of its human inhabitants are to ever prosper. The need of the hour is to understand that awareness without the ability to hold corporations, countries, and individuals accountable will not result in major action on climate change-inflicted inequalities. Above all, we need to restore our trust in collective action through government, politics, and other means. Climate change inequality global climate politics collective action Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-2120923","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":143344985,"identity":"b19385ab-9eb7-4906-a4c7-13a6a101e2b7","order_by":0,"name":"JOMILIN JOHN","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACxgYeBgYJBgYePmYGhgMJP2xAYo0HiNLCxszA+OBhTxpYDK8WoGIIxcbAwGz4gO0wmINXC3N777EHFhXbZNjYeY9JJPCct1vbfhhoS41NNE6H9ZxLN5A4cxvoML40iQSL28nbziQCtRxLy23ApWVGjpmEZBtIC48Z0JbbyWYHgFoYGw4Tq4XtXLLZ+YfEazE2SGA7YGd2g5AtPWfMJCB+4TF8kNiTnGB2A2hLAh6/GLb3mElLVNy25+c/Y3Dwxw87e7Pz6Q8ffKixwa0FKMEsgSSQCFaZgEM5CMiDHPcBScAej+JRMApGwSgYoQAATx9cFy5qCuQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"University of Delhi","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"JOMILIN","middleName":"","lastName":"JOHN","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2022-09-30 14:55:58","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2120923/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2120923/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":27631880,"identity":"b7f03d76-edab-4c42-90d9-4acdd97cced8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2022-10-11 17:24:02","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":288751,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ClimateApartheidPoliticsAroundClimateChangeInflictedInequalities.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-2120923/v1_covered.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Climate Apartheid: Politics Around Climate Change Inflicted Inequalities","fulltext":[{"header":"Full Text","content":"This preprint is available for \u003ca href='/article/rs-2120923/latest.pdf' target='_blank'\u003edownload as a PDF\u003c/a\u003e."}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Climate change, inequality, global climate politics, collective action","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2120923/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2120923/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eInequality is often referred to as the phenomenon of unequal or unjust distribution of resources, wealth, opportunities, etc. among members of a given society. 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In such a world, the government, policymakers, international organizations have a crucial role to play. Studies in recent times have shown how climate change is creating a rift between developed and developing nations and the importance of the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ formalized by the UNFCCC. However, very less focus is on how climate change inflicted inequalities is affecting global politics, the role of governments in tackling the same, and how these changes themselves alter the nature and state of governance. The paper seeks to study and critically analyze the inequalities caused by climate change and its future impacts with a major focus on Asia and Africa. The global climate politics and how it changed the nature of state and governance. Comparing the policies and steps taken by the government of India and other countries to mitigate these climate change inflicted inequalities under the United Nations SDG 10: “Reduce inequality within and among countries” and SDG 13: “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”. Finally discussing how to reduce these inequalities targeting the necessity of contriving policies based on deeper analyses of the concrete circumstances of a country. Following the promise of 'leaving no one behind', people-centered approaches are at the core of our response. To conclude, the vicious cycle of climate change, political inaction, and inequality need to be broken if momentous steps to preserve the Earth and the dignity of its human inhabitants are to ever prosper. The need of the hour is to understand that awareness without the ability to hold corporations, countries, and individuals accountable will not result in major action on climate change-inflicted inequalities. 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