We want the world to be fair, clean and green. Climate change doesn’t affect everyone in the same way – the poorest people in the UK and around the world are disproportionately feeling its impact, and it makes inequality worse. Climate justice is about addressing this unfairness and finding green solutions that work for everyone.

The concept of the climate crisis is often seen as too big and distant from everyday lives, competing with immediate problems like paying the bills, putting food on the table and health concerns. But climate is a social justice issue.

Up and down the country, communities are sharing their experiences of overheated homes, damp, mouldy and leaky flats and a lack of affordable and reliable public transport.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Most people in the UK care about climate change, and there are local people across the country organising to find solutions that keep us and our planet healthy.

Together, we can tackle climate injustice and create a fairer, greener society that leaves no one behind.

We are calling on decision-makers to:

No matter where we live, where we’re from, or how much money we have, we should all have a safe and healthy place to call home, today and in the future.

Climate change makes inequality worse – people from ethnic minority communities in low-income households and those already experiencing health inequalities are disproportionately affected by its impacts, particularly in poor-quality homes.

Eight million people in England live in a home that presents a serious threat to their health and safety. An estimated 4.5 million households are in fuel poverty, spending more than 10% of their income on energy to provide a satisfactory heating regime. Damp and mould are causing respiratory conditions in children. Broken windows and basic repairs have not been attended to for years. In addition, temperatures are rising, and people living in high-rise buildings are disproportionately exposed to overheating.

All year round, in cold Winter snaps and hot summer spells, people’s lives are at risk because of poorly insulated homes.

We’re calling for nationwide housing improvements that keep us and the planet healthy.

The Government must ‘Fix It First’ and ensure that basic repairs are included as part of retrofit and upgrade works so that homes are safer, healthier, as well as greener and cheaper to heat.

In the UK, public transport is patchy, expensive and unreliable. Isolated communities are becoming increasingly disconnected, and people resort to cars and taxis instead. People from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds and those on lower incomes are more likely to live in areas with higher levels of air pollution due to increased emissions. This places these communities at increased risk of health problems.

We heard from parents who have to leave work to drive their children to school when buses are unreliable, a problem which families face in many parts of the country, particularly in the North of England.

Listening to communities in Cambridge and Peterborough, we found out that around 40 per cent of young people we spoke to had missed appointments because of poor bus services.

We’re calling on the Government to make public transport reliable, timely, affordable and clean to provide a sustainable alternative to car use.

We all need good green spaces. They are essential to our mental and physical well-being. A safe playground for children to play in, a park bench to socialise with friends, and a natural environment to exercise or relax.

Yet parks and gardens are not equally accessible, and there are fewer and poorer quality green spaces in communities on lower incomes.

Across the UK, communities are working together to change that.

In Leeds, local residents, children, schools, community festival groups and faith organisations secured £50,000 of funding for play equipment, trees and shrubs in an underused and neglected local park.