Why visionary leadership is essential for climate justice progress

Through a series of interviews and workshops with frontline community leaders and experts, we’ve heard that climate justice progress is slow and solutions are not directly benefiting communities, with the people affected first and worst feeling unheard and left out. Here, Ksenia Benifand, Forum’s Senior Principal Change Designer, explores how the private sector can embrace its role and responsibility in creating equity-centered, collaborative climate justice solutions, through our recently co-published Business Guide to Advancing Climate Justice. ​​

As climate change intensifies, the severe consequences of climate disasters often disproportionately affect frontline or underserved communities, which many times include low-income communities, immigrant populations, Black, Brown and Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable occupational groups. A recent IPCC Assessment Report (AR6) points out: “Actions that prioritize equity, climate justice, social justice, and inclusion lead to more sustainable outcomes, co-benefits, reduce trade-offs, support transformative change and advance climate-resilient development.”  

Advancing climate justice is not only an essential component of a global response to the climate crisis, but also a significant opportunity for businesses to be a force for good. By taking concrete action on climate justice, businesses can contribute to fostering long-term resilience across operations and value chains and start building trust with communities. It can help attract and retain talent by demonstrating commitment to social and environmental responsibility and alleviate climate risks by proactively partnering with communities to mitigate and redress the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.   

In fact, companies that prioritize climate justice and engage meaningfully with frontline communities are more likely to have stronger stakeholder relationships, better regulatory compliance, and, ultimately, more long-term sustainable outcomes, according to those interviewed for the Business Guide to Advancing Climate Justice. 

As Keya Chatterjee from the U.S. Climate Action Network emphasizes in our recently co-published Business Guide to Advancing Climate Justice, “we need aligned businesses to not wait, to challenge and disrupt the power structures now in ways that frontline community groups cannot.” 

Here are some ways that businesses can shift from short-termism to cultivate visionary leadership and the adoption of a just and regenerative mindset, and champion long-term, sustainable solutions developed in partnership with frontline communities.  

Understanding climate justice and frontline communities 

Climate justice seeks to address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on underserved communities, including low-income groups, people of color, Black and Indigenous Peoples, and those with fewer resources to prepare for and recover from climate disasters. It acknowledges historical injustices and systemic inequities that exacerbate vulnerability to climate-related events.  

A recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found Black and African American people in the United States are 40% more likely to live in areas where extreme temperatures lead to more deaths. This likelihood increases to 59% if global warming reaches 4°C.  

Climate justice prioritizes the needs of frontline communities, aiming to rectify environmental and social disparities by centering equity in climate action and policymaking while holding accountable those who bear the most significant responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. 

These communities have critical perspectives and expertise as to how to increase resilience to climate change. And the private sector has more opportunities to support community-led climate solutions today than ever. 

Championing climate justice through visionary leadership 

Advancing climate justice demands a new approach to business leadership, prompting internal reflection and dialogues around industry harm to communities and its responsibility to address them.  

Brandy Brown, the Vice President at DNV highlights that “in order to make this work and to make it real, we need to be willing to give up power and give credibility to the voices who are most impacted.” 

This journey involves aligning organizational culture with mindsets that support climate justice principles, including: 

  • Embracing a long-term view on value creation: Partnering with communities requires sustained commitment over many years, prioritizing long-term sustainability and recognizing that progress unfolds gradually. Focus on building trust and supporting frontline communities to achieve their goals. 

  • Prioritizing deep listening to diverse perspectives: Engage in deep listening within the business and with stakeholders, especially those with firsthand experience of climate impacts. Participating in existing community-based meetings and events helps understand local concerns and build meaningful connections. 

  • Creating a clear vision that integrates climate justice into the broader mission: Link positive social and environmental impacts to the core purpose and values of the business, communicating this vision clearly and integrating it into all business decisions. 

Fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability 

To begin to address environmental justice issues effectively, it is imperative to foster a culture that values and facilitates collaboration with stakeholders across frontline communities. Michelle Roberts from the Just and National Climate Platform says that “your bottom line starts with your neighbors, you must be mindful of the full impact on people and communities.”  

Some key considerations as part of this work include: 

  • Laying the groundwork for authentic partnerships: Before engaging with frontline communities, businesses must conduct internal groundwork. This involves stocktaking to understand organization's contributions to community harms and its responsibility to address them, as well as mapping locations across your operations and value chain to assess how climate and environmental justice manifests.   

  • Providing environmental justice training: Offer training to board members, leaders and employees at various levels to ensure a shared understanding and commitment to climate justice. Doing this work requires humility, patience, intentionality, and a long-term commitment. It necessitates building internal alliances and identifying what’s needed for cultural and mindset shifts. 

  • Defining executive responsibility: Designate a member of the Executive Leadership Team as the ultimate accountable party for climate justice actions company-wide, participating in the company's internal sustainability advisory group. Set up good governance structures internally, such as appointing an internal lead for climate justice.  

  • Following through with genuine commitment: Identify the right individuals within the organization to lead relationship-building with frontline communities. Co-create ways to measure progress with partners and set up effective grievance mechanisms to receive and act on feedback. 

  • Establishing external Climate Justice Advisory Groups for organizational strategy and governance of local projects: These groups are necessary to ensure diverse perspectives and expertise from impacted communities are integrated into decision-making and to foster accountability and effective, equitable climate action. Build long-term relationships and trust, ensure equitable compensation, and set people up for success by providing context, using accessible language, and defining roles and responsibilities. To avoid tokenism, examine power dynamics and decision-making processes. 

Leading with vision and purpose for climate justice 

Finally, it is critical to embrace visionary leadership that takes accountability and prioritizes long-term climate solutions, developed in partnership with communities and key stakeholders, business can contribute to positive health outcomes, ecosystem restoration, champion dignity, fulfillment, and equity, and create a more just and resilient future.  

Now is the time to act.  

The Business Guide to Advancing Climate Justice is co-published by Forum for the Future and B Lab U.S. and Canada. This guide provides practical guidance for the private sector to take concrete climate justice action in partnership with communities. Download the guide and reach out to Ksenia Benifand, if you have additional questions, and interested in learning more about this work or hosting a learning session within your organization.  

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