In early 2022, the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) included equity and justice, for the first time, as a core concept of climate change adaptation. The report highlights the role of climate justice as an enabling factor and a precondition for successful adaptation processes and projects: ‘Integrated and inclusive system-oriented solutions based on equity and social and climate justice reduce risks and enable climate resilient development.’ Climate Justice thus needs to be an inherent part of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as a solution to address the impact of climate change on marginalised communities and vulnerable ecosystems.
The objective of this policy paper is to provide knowledge on how to support justice-based implementation of EbA projects and programmes. It describes the international context, highlights key challenges for practical implementation and proposes leverage points where development actors can foster climate justice in EbA implementation.
This policy paper resulted from a desktop review as well as stakeholder consultation and dialogue conducted by GIZ from May to July 2022. The process involved over 60 representatives of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, local civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), research institutions, national policymakers, implementing agencies, donors, and climate and biodiversity funds.
