Thesis Title:
Places of Contestation: Locating Racial Inequalities in Climate and Transition Risks in the UK
Abstract:
Climate change is a present, irreversible, and fundamental threat to daily life that will worsen existing inequalities in the UK, including racial inequalities. Limiting this threat requires a rapid and extensive shift away from fossil fuel use across sectors: buildings, transport, agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and water use. However, the impacts of transition to a decarbonised society and economy are also unevenly distributed, and the negative effects on poor and marginalised groups are likely to increase as transition measures become more far-reaching. A ‘just transition’ seeks to ensure transition benefits are gained by those most in need, and that the costs do not unfairly weigh on those least able to pay. This concept can feel remote, however; separated from everyday experience. This research project aims to make the ongoing climate transition more just by considering its intersections with race, ethnicity, and social inequality in the UK. To that end, it will deploy qualitative methods to explore the understanding, experience, and impact of climate and transition risks as they are manifested in place, and answer the following research questions: – How is race and ethnicity associated with climate transition challenges in the UK, specifically heating and cooling homes, adapting to urban heatwaves, and reducing car dependence? – How do plans for climate mitigation and adaptation in these settings complement and conflict with the pursuit of racial justice? – How might place-based transition initiatives impact racial inequality?
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