The climate crisis and its effect on vulnerable groups

Key points

The EESC:

• draws attention to the fact that vulnerable groups are going to pay a disproportionately high price and be heavily affected by the effects of the climate crisis, because of policy failures at national, European and global levels and because they have fewer resources available to achieve climate mitigation and adaptation;
• recommends to highlight the social aspects of the just transition, with emphasis on children and intergenerational justice, and supplement initiatives such as the EU Social Climate Fund and the EU Climate Adjustment Fund with additional instruments;
• stresses the need to provide vulnerable groups with opportunities to acquire skills that are valuable in the green economy and that can prevent energy poverty;
• calls for the development of a comprehensive EU political and social strategy which would boost the EU capacity to respond in a proactive rather than reactive manner to climate emergencies. The Climate Adjustment Fund can emerge as a tool of paramount importance in that respect, accompanied by the Cohesion Fund, The Just Transition Fund and the Recovery and Resilience Facility;
• recommends studying the intersection between climate change impacts, vulnerable groups and social inequalities to understand how climate change and the transition to green energy could exacerbate existing social and environmental injustices;
• measures supporting vulnerable groups and affected households should be based on a holistic view, including the use of social policy instruments.