The True Cost of Climate Change: Reinforcing Inequality?

Off The Charts Energy Podcast

As India, Niger, and the southern United States grapple with historic flooding, new research is illustrating the inclusive costs of climate events and whom they affect the most. A changing environment – via floods, droughts, or storms – affects residents indiscriminately, yet it is the economically disadvantaged who struggle to adapt and recover. The World Bank reports that climate change will drive an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030, disproportionately affecting developing countries. Will changing weather patterns change demographic maps as those that can leave at-risk areas do? How do we factor inequality into resilience planning for climate change at the local and international levels?