Kailash Satyarthi calls for integrating compassion in climate action

“The climate crisis is forcing large-scale transformation at the global level. And it is good for humanity and for the planet because climate change is indeed an existential crisis. But we must ensure this transformation is also used as an opportunity to improve the lives of those who are weak and disadvantaged,” said Satyarthi, who has been roped in by the organising team for COP30, the annual climate meeting in Brazil this year, for the Global Ethical Stocktake initiative of climate action, and designated the co-leader for the dialogue in Asia.

Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel in 2014 for his campaign against child labour and efforts to rescue children from bonded labour.

“President Lula (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) of Brazil is aware of the work I do. He is a good friend. He might have suggested I should be involved in this,” Satyarthi said.

Ethical stocktake is an attempt to evaluate ongoing and upcoming climate actions from an ethical perspective — whether these actions were likely to increase or reduce inequalities, whether concerns of countries or population groups disproportionately affected by the climate crisis were getting adequately addressed, and whether these actions were breaking or creating existing social, economic and political barriers.

Satyarthi is among several global leaders from different fields who have been picked to carry out this exercise taking place in the form of a regional dialogue across continents.

“The overall objective of this exercise is laudable. In my own work with children, I have seen how some unconnected policies, relating to, for example, industrialisation, or education or infrastructure, had unintended consequences for child labour and human trafficking, sometimes for the good, sometimes not so good. It is important to be aware of the possibility of such consequences and plan for them,” he said.

Satyarthi said climate change had ushered in a widespread transformation, and it was upon the countries to ensure that this transformation resulted in a better world for the poor and marginalised.

“Every action or initiative has side effects and those who are weak, deprived, marginalised often end up being the worst sufferers of these side effects. Transition (away from fossil fuels) alone is not enough. This transition must result in a world which is better for everyone, particularly those who are already weak and deprived. This is what the concept of Just Transition in the climate negotiations is all about,” he said.

“Like Gandhi, who emphasised the need to evaluate a policy from the perspective of the impact it was likely to have on the last man in the queue, we should be considering climate action impacts on the weak and the marginalised. I understand we cannot wish away injustice and inequality at one go, but the minimum we must do is to ensure that this does not get exacerbated, while making honest efforts to make the situation better. This is the crux of ethical stocktake exercise,” he said.