Putting People at the Center of Climate Action

This commentary by the World Resources Institute argues that climate action is only politically viable if it is 'people-centered,' meaning it purposefully unlocks social and economic benefits, targets them to enhance equity, and ensures a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities. The document provides evidence that bold climate action can deliver significant global economic gains, job creation, and public health improvements while mitigating the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the poor.

• Bold global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could provide massive economic and social returns by 2030, including $26 trillion in net global economic benefits, the creation of over 65 million new low-carbon jobs, and the prevention of more than 700,000 deaths caused by air pollution.
• Climate change disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations, including the poor, the young, the old, and women. Approximately 14% of people in developing countries live in low-lying coastal zones, and nearly 29% of the global population resides in arid regions, making them highly susceptible to floods and droughts.
• The Indonesian government's 2019 analysis of a low-carbon development path suggests that cutting greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 43% by 2030 could result in over 15 million additional greener, better-paid jobs, a reduction of extreme poverty to 4.2% by 2045, and an additional $5.4 trillion added to the country's GDP by 2045.
• Carbon pricing and fossil fuel subsidy reform can be effective climate tools, but they risk causing social unrest if they are regressive. To be politically viable, revenues should be recycled back to citizens through tax credits or direct payments, as seen in Canada and Indonesia, to ensure low- and middle-income households are not unfairly burdened.
• Low-carbon urban planning and infrastructure can significantly reduce emissions and improve social equity. For example, Bus Rapid Transit systems in Bogotá and Lagos, and a cable car system in Medellín, have reduced travel times and costs for poor residents while lowering CO2 emissions.
• Transforming food and land-use systems through 'climate-smart agriculture' could generate $5.7 trillion in annual economic gains by 2030, double rural income growth, and create over 120 million new jobs in poor rural communities.
• Strategic investments in climate adaptation between 2020 and 2030 could yield $7.1 trillion in net benefits from an investment of $1.8 trillion. Priority areas include early-warning systems, mangrove protection, dryland crop production, water resource management, and resilient infrastructure.

APA

World Resources Institute (2019). Putting People at the Center of Climate Action. https://www.wri.org/insights/putting-people-center-climate-action

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Putting People at the Center of Climate Action. 2019. https://www.wri.org/insights/putting-people-center-climate-action.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=World Resources Institute |title=Putting People at the Center of Climate Action |date=8 December 2019 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/putting-people-center-climate-action |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{worldresourcesinstitute2019putting, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Putting People at the Center of Climate Action}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/putting-people-center-climate-action}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }