Main Event: The Road to inclusive Climate Action: From Berlin to Belém and Beyond

The effects of climate change have a disproportionate impact on the lives, health, well-being and livelihoods of persons with disabilities. They are, for example, affected by higher mortality and morbidity rates during extreme weather events due to a range of challenges, including barriers in accessibility, information, and meaningful participation.  

Despite this, persons with disabilities have not been adequately included in the climate change discourse. In September 2024, eight disability organizations at the regional and global level sent a formal letter to the members of the Paris Agreement, criticizing the exclusion of the disability movement from the United Nations climate negotiations and calling for the creation of an official constituency of persons with disabilities.  

Well-designed, inclusive climate action and disaster risk reduction strategies recognize that individuals experience impacts differently, shaped by intersecting dimensions such as disability, gender, age, and socio-economic status. Adopting an All of Society approach ensures that risks are reduced for the most vulnerable population groups and benefits and burdens are distributed fairly across all community members. 

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