The President of the European Parliament today used his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos to argue that climate change and rising inequalities can only be addressed together.

President Sassoli stated:

“Environmental challenges can only be solved if we put the reduction of inequality at the center of political action. Climate challenges and inequality can only be solved together. An unequal society in which large sections of the population live in conditions of poverty feeds the ecological crisis.

“We are not equal in the face of the climate change. Whether we are rich or poor, elderly or young, depending on where we live, influences how we are affected by the climate emergency. For example, the exceptionally hot and dry climate of last summer had a devastating impact on European farmland, reducing the crop of vegetables and increasing their price for the final consumer. This particularly affects low-income families, as food accounts for a large part of their monthly family budget. The ecological crisis is therefore aggravating the social crisis and the crisis of inequality.

“Inequality is an environmental issue, just as environmental degradation is a social issue. We must understand that ecological and social progress go hand in hand. We cannot end poverty and build a fairer society by letting the ecological crisis destroy our planet. However, we also cannot end the ecological crisis while high levels of poverty and inequality persist.

“The beginning of this new European institutional cycle has put the fight against global warming and the ecological transition at the center of its priorities. As one of its first acts the new Commission put forward a roadmap for the implementation of a European Green Deal. This was followed, last week, by proposals for a "Just Transition Fund", to ensure that no one is left behind in the move to a carbon-neutral economy. This initiative should be welcomed. However, the resources with which this fund will be equipped do not seem to live up to the social changes that we foresee. In order to guarantee the political success of the European Green Deal, it is essential to ensure adequate funding is available to help those most affected. In particular, to support the creation of high quality and well paid jobs.”

The full speech is available here