Interconnected Crises Unveiled
Across the globe, communities are grappling with two intensifying crises: the climate crisis and a care crisis. The urgency of the climate crisis is well-documented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), with rising greenhouse gases resulting from unchecked fossil fuel use, deforestation, and industrial activities.
In contrast, the care crisis, less often discussed, reflects society’s struggle to sustain livelihoods, raise children, and support communities. This crisis emerges from a lack of investment in caring for each other.
To address these challenges, we must recognize the interdependence of humans, other species, and nature. At the core of climate change is our failure to invest adequately in care for one another and the environment, a concept known as the “care-climate nexus”.
The gender-climate link is gaining attention, yet the connection between climate change and care remains underexplored. By understanding care as a focal point, we can craft policies for a sustainable future.
The Value of Care and Nature
Both the climate and care crises have emerged from undervaluing nature and care work. Economic measures like GDP prioritize unsustainable resource exploitation while neglecting the intrinsic value of the environment.
Unpaid care work, often dubbed “women’s work,” remains unvalued in GDP calculations despite its essential role in sustaining livelihoods. This oversight perpetuates gender norms that devalue women’s contributions.
Climate change exacerbates threats to food security, water access, and health, increasing the burden of unpaid care tasks. These responsibilities, primarily borne by women, are becoming more challenging with climate impacts.
In the global North, there is a trend towards outsourcing care work to immigrant women, highlighting the global nature of this issue.
Integrating Care in Climate Policy
Humans have the potential to restore the environment rather than deplete it. This requires reevaluating what we value and whether our economic systems reflect these priorities.
The care-climate nexus framework emphasizes two key points:
- Expansive view of care: Beyond personal care, it includes environmental care, recognizing diverse interpretations from the global South.
- Ethical and political dimensions: Care is crucial for maintaining and repairing our world, with implications for life on Earth.
- Socio-economic challenges: Climate change impacts caregiving, exacerbates unpaid care burdens, and affects farm workers’ rights.
Addressing these challenges involves recognizing the interconnected socio-economic issues at play. Climate change impacts the provision of care, adding to the burden of unpaid caregiving, while economic systems undervalue care work.
Reimagining Economic Systems
Privatization of public services complicates access to care, with quality healthcare remaining out of reach for many. This trend underscores the urgency of building caring economies to foster climate resilience.
The upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP) will focus on climate finance, presenting an opportunity to advocate for better-resourced caring economies.
This content forms part of a series initiated by the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre, feminist economists, and climate scientists globally.
By highlighting the care-climate nexus, we can push for policies that value both care work and environmental stewardship, paving the way for a more equitable and sustainable future.
aria
Intersting read, but isn’t the IPCC already doing enough by focusing on climate science? 🤔
faith_wanderlust
Thank you for this insightful read! How can ordinary citizens get involved in promoting these ideas?
lucy
Why haven’t we heard about this connection between climate and care before? Seems crucial!
harleywhispering
Is it just me, or does this sound like a call for a complete economic system overhaul?
charlotte
Great post! But how do we convince policymakers that unpaid care work is just as important as GDP?
John5
This concept of care-climate nexus sounds like something from a sci-fi movie! 🤖
gingerlegend
Is there any chance the upcoming COP will actually focus on these care issues, or is it just wishful thinking?
ashertwilight
Finally, someone’s talking about the care crisis! Thank you for shedding light on this important topic.
rosieprism
I’m curious, how does the study propose to measure the intrinsic value of care and nature?
harperharmony
Wow, this is mind-blowing! 🌍 How can we push for the care-climate nexus to be included in climate policies?