Daily The Patriot

Climate change and the widening class divide

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By Sardar Khan Niazi

As the planet becomes warmer, glaciers melt down, and monsoons become more erratic, climate change is most often framed as an environmental crisis. Nevertheless, beneath the rising sea levels and smog-filled skies lies a deeper, more insidious truth: climate change is also a class war–one that the poor class is losing. The ruthless, brutal reality is that while climate change is a global phenomenon, its impacts are anything but evenly distributed. The wealthy have the means to adapt, relocate, and insulate themselves from its worst effects. The poor, by contrast, are increasingly exposed, vulnerable, and voiceless in the face of ecological collapse. In Pakistan, this divide is stark and growing more so with each passing summer. The floods of 2022 offered a chilling preview of what was to come. Millions were displaced. Crops were wiped out. Infrastructure crumbled. Yet, those with means were quick to flee to safer ground, seek private healthcare, or rebuild using insurance and savings. For those living hand-to-mouth in rural Sindh or Baluchistan, there was no safety net. Many are still waiting for basic rehabilitation, long after the news cameras turned away. Climate resilience–access to clean water, air-conditioned homes, early warning systems, and strong healthcare–comes at a cost. And only a small fraction of Pakistanis can afford it. Meanwhile, it is often the poor who are forced to live in flood-prone areas, drink contaminated water, and endure long hours of outdoor labor in punishing heat. This is not accidental. Our cities have been designed around the rich. The greenest neighborhoods have the lowest emissions, the best drainage, and the fewest trees cut down. The urban poor, meanwhile, are pushed to the margins–literally and figuratively–where they bear the brunt of environmental degradation caused by the very lifestyles they cannot afford. On a global scale, the injustice is even more grotesque. Countries like Pakistan contribute less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet suffer disproportionately. The world’s richest 1% emit more than the poorest 50% combined. Their consumption–mega yachts, private jets, meat-heavy diets–is subsidized by the silence of those whose livelihoods are scorched, flooded, or poisoned by the fallout. Even climate solutions are becoming a tool of exclusion. Renewable energy, electric vehicles, and sustainable housing are often priced far out of reach for most. Carbon markets and green financing schemes rarely trickle down to benefit small farmers or low-income communities. In fact, many are being pushed off their lands to make room for carbon offset plantations or ‘green’ real estate developments. We must be clear-eyed about what is happening: climate change is accelerating inequality, and inequality is worsening climate outcomes. Without urgent and just interventions, the gap between those who can escape and those who must endure will widen catastrophically. So what can be done? First, climate justice must be made central to our policy and planning. This means not just cutting emissions, but protecting and empowering those on the frontlines. Investments in flood defenses, public health, and resilient housing must prioritize the poorest districts–not the poshest ones. Second, there must be real accountability for climate harm. This includes pushing for loss and damage funding from high-emitting countries, but also holding our own elite to account for ecologically destructive practices at home. Finally, the voices of affected communities must be placed at the heart of climate discourse. Too often, decisions are made in boardrooms and conferences, far removed from the people who will live–and die–by them. Climate change is not just about carbon. It is about justice. In addition, unless we confront that head-on, we risk entering a future where survival itself is a luxury.

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Climate change and the widening class divide

Link copied!

By Sardar Khan Niazi

As the planet becomes warmer, glaciers melt down, and monsoons become more erratic, climate change is most often framed as an environmental crisis. Nevertheless, beneath the rising sea levels and smog-filled skies lies a deeper, more insidious truth: climate change is also a class war–one that the poor class is losing. The ruthless, brutal reality is that while climate change is a global phenomenon, its impacts are anything but evenly distributed. The wealthy have the means to adapt, relocate, and insulate themselves from its worst effects. The poor, by contrast, are increasingly exposed, vulnerable, and voiceless in the face of ecological collapse. In Pakistan, this divide is stark and growing more so with each passing summer. The floods of 2022 offered a chilling preview of what was to come. Millions were displaced. Crops were wiped out. Infrastructure crumbled. Yet, those with means were quick to flee to safer ground, seek private healthcare, or rebuild using insurance and savings. For those living hand-to-mouth in rural Sindh or Baluchistan, there was no safety net. Many are still waiting for basic rehabilitation, long after the news cameras turned away. Climate resilience–access to clean water, air-conditioned homes, early warning systems, and strong healthcare–comes at a cost. And only a small fraction of Pakistanis can afford it. Meanwhile, it is often the poor who are forced to live in flood-prone areas, drink contaminated water, and endure long hours of outdoor labor in punishing heat. This is not accidental. Our cities have been designed around the rich. The greenest neighborhoods have the lowest emissions, the best drainage, and the fewest trees cut down. The urban poor, meanwhile, are pushed to the margins–literally and figuratively–where they bear the brunt of environmental degradation caused by the very lifestyles they cannot afford. On a global scale, the injustice is even more grotesque. Countries like Pakistan contribute less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet suffer disproportionately. The world’s richest 1% emit more than the poorest 50% combined. Their consumption–mega yachts, private jets, meat-heavy diets–is subsidized by the silence of those whose livelihoods are scorched, flooded, or poisoned by the fallout. Even climate solutions are becoming a tool of exclusion. Renewable energy, electric vehicles, and sustainable housing are often priced far out of reach for most. Carbon markets and green financing schemes rarely trickle down to benefit small farmers or low-income communities. In fact, many are being pushed off their lands to make room for carbon offset plantations or ‘green’ real estate developments. We must be clear-eyed about what is happening: climate change is accelerating inequality, and inequality is worsening climate outcomes. Without urgent and just interventions, the gap between those who can escape and those who must endure will widen catastrophically. So what can be done? First, climate justice must be made central to our policy and planning. This means not just cutting emissions, but protecting and empowering those on the frontlines. Investments in flood defenses, public health, and resilient housing must prioritize the poorest districts–not the poshest ones. Second, there must be real accountability for climate harm. This includes pushing for loss and damage funding from high-emitting countries, but also holding our own elite to account for ecologically destructive practices at home. Finally, the voices of affected communities must be placed at the heart of climate discourse. Too often, decisions are made in boardrooms and conferences, far removed from the people who will live–and die–by them. Climate change is not just about carbon. It is about justice. In addition, unless we confront that head-on, we risk entering a future where survival itself is a luxury.

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Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *