Coming Clean about Climate

Conversations about climate justice are becoming much broader than how to do right by the fishes and the trees. Climate change disproportionately affects low-income and BIPOC communities, exacerbating racial disparities. As more than half of people who live close to hazardous waste are people of color, these same populations are more likely to die of environmental causes. 

The Black Lives Matter movement amplified the intersection of racial and environmental justice, but there are still challenges in addressing these inequities. In our Culture Briefing, sparks & honey’s Head of Strategic Partnerships, Annalie Kilian, pointed out the lack of regulation for private companies as an obstacle to seeing the full picture. She said, "certain companies are basing themselves in certain states where there are far fewer disclosure requirements." Similarly, The U.S Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is not equipped to enforce employers to be responsible for their employees working in extreme heat, such as farmworkers. 

As the temperature of Earth continues to rise, so will the danger these workers will face. But bad climate policy is bad business. An IBM report found that 45% of consumers found it "very important" that brands are "sustainable and/or environmentally responsible." Collaboration between government and consumers will be necessary to ensure equity for both mother nature and her most marginalized groups.

Watch the Full Culture Briefing below:

Watch live Culture Briefings every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 12 pm ET on the sparks & honey LinkedIn page.