Equity is fundamental to our understanding of climate change, is key to shaping policy responses across governance scales, and is critical to ensuring that the substantive outcomes protect populations that are most at risk from negative impacts. Inequity, on the other hand, enhances sensitivity to climate risks and exacerbates vulnerability.

How do we move from a position of inequity and vulnerability to equity and resilience in climate change interventions?

The Social Dimensions of Climate Change Team hosted a Social Development Roundtable to discuss these themes on Wednesday, April 22 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Session 1: From Vulnerability to Resilience – The Equity Principle going beyond ethics to a functional approach to equity

• Vulnerability to climate change is more than exposure to climate risks; it also involves sensitivity to these risks, which is substantially increased as a result of numerous intersecting inequalities.
  
• Replacing inequality with equity is key to moving populations from a position of vulnerability to one of greater resilience as it provides a framework to correct governance deficits as well as socio-economic and resource imbalances.
  

These issues were explored by a range of prominent participants from government, civil society, the UN system, academia and from across the World Bank Group.

Featured Roundtable Participants included:

• H.E. Cheick Sidi Diarra, Under Secretary General in the Office of the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS and UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Africa
• Romina Picolotti, Former Minister of Environment of Argentina
• H.E. Dessima Williams, Permanent Representative of Grenada to the UN and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
• H.E. Ismat Jahan, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN and Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group
• Elizabeth Gibbons, Associate Director, Gender Rights & Civic Engagement - Division of Policy & Planning of UNICEF
• Professor Daniel Magraw, President of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
• David Waskow, Climate Change Program Director Oxfam America

The Social Development Roundtable was followed by the first lecture in the Sustainable Development Dialogue Series, featuring a keynote speech by the Honorable Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the current President of Realizing Rights. Mrs. Robinson’s speech, entitled “the social dimensions of sustainable development”, took place at the Eugene R. Black Auditorium (600 19th Street NW, Washington, DC) from 4:00pm and was followed by a cocktail reception at 6:00pm.

For more information about this event, please contact us at socialdevelopment@worldbank.org.