ActionAid Association has released a pivotal report highlighting the urgent need for climate justice for sugarcane workers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The report was released at the National Conclave of Defenders of Human Rights and Promoters of Social and Ecological Justice in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, organised by ActionAid Association, on June 12^th, 2024.

The report documents the substantial impact of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of sugarcane workers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It reveals how their precarities have multiplied and vulnerabilities have been heightened. For sugarcane workers, climate change encompasses more than environmental sustainability; it is also about ensuring decent working conditions, access to social security and public services, equitable resource distribution, and fair treatment amidst climatic challenges. Climate justice recognizes that resolving climate change issues must combine ecological and environmental considerations with social justice, protecting the rights of the most vulnerable populations by advocating for equitable access to environmental resources, sharing the burden of climate change impacts, and ensuring equal participation in climate action planning and execution.

In its conclusion, the report provides recommendations for action. These range from measures to improve workers’ immediate health and safety needs, income security, and employment stability to comprehensive support systems that protect workers. It also addresses the particular needs of women and children and the importance of building resilience in source villages to prevent distress migration. This report represents the pathway sugarcane workers envision towards just futures in a world increasingly impacted by climate change.

Sandeep Chachra, Executive Director of ActionAid Association, emphasised, “Climate justice is not just an environmental issue but a fundamental human rights issue. Our report emphasizes the need for a just and equitable approach to tackling climate change, ensuring that the voices of the most affected communities are heard and their rights protected. We must act now to create a sustainable and fair future for all.”

ActionAid Association calls on policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the global community to recognize and address the unique challenges faced by sugarcane workers due to climate change, ensuring that they are part of the solution in creating a more equitable and resilient world.

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For more information, contact: Tanveer Kazi | Tanveer.Kazi@actionaid.org | 8800391997