A Decent Living Standard for Everyone Lifts All: Fixing social inequity to mitigate climate change

As the pandemic grinds the world to a halt, what is most tragically visible is the disparity and inequities in society. Similar disparities are visible when to comes to climate mitigation and adaptation. If we are to really get to the level of mitigation that the Paris Agreement calls for, it can only happen with increased attention to equity.
Through his research based in India, the ‘Decent Living Energy project, Dr. Narasimha Rao, a professor at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and an energy systems analyst, shows that reducing inequality – within countries and between them – would improve our ability to mitigate some of the worst effects of climate change, and provide for a more stable climate future. “We need to look more rigorously at the basic requirements of human well-being and human progress. We know what they are in economics and social policy, but we don’t know how to align those requirements with climate change and energy use“, he says.

Dr. Rao’s presentation will be followed by a conversation with Dr. Sharachchandra Lele.

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