In the ACCREU project, we are developing a social justice assessment methodology to assess strategies targeting the heat-related impacts of climate change on health. When high exposure to climate hazards such as urban heatwaves and rural droughts coincides with heightened social vulnerability, people may experience ‘climate disadvantage’. This disadvantage is compounded when individuals or groups have limited capacity to adapt, known as ‘adaptive inequality’.
Many cities and regions are developing strategies to address the impacts of heat and their consequences for health. Social and environmental justice frameworks offer powerful tools for identifying and responding to disadvantages and inequalities. They help policymakers and planners see beyond technical solutions, ensuring that strategies do not inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities. The ACCREU social justice framework can be used by practitioners, decision makers and academics to understand whether heat plans and climate adaptation strategies are appropriately identifying and responding to different dimensions of justice including distribution, participation and recognition.
The ACCREU pilot case focuses on Bremen’s 2024 Heat Action Plan, a German region already taking proactive steps in climate resilience. By testing our draft methodology on this plan, we aim to assess how well social justice considerations have been integrated—from identifying vulnerable groups to targeting support measures effectively.
Looking ahead, the ACCREU team plans to develop a suite of indicators to monitor and evaluate the justice dimensions of heat adaptation plans more systematically. These indicators will support continuous improvement, ensuring that adaptation strategies are not only effective but also fair and inclusive.
Image credit: European Geosciences Union (EGU), egu.eu