The 30th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP30), the UN’s annual climate meeting, concluded last 21 November 2025. This year, the conference emphasizes connecting the climate regime to people’s real lives. This article introduces the report, “Environmental Racism and Climate Injustice: The Role of Cities in Tackling Climate Change and in Fighting Socioterritorial Inequalities”, published in November 2025 by Instituto Polis, to highlight how he climate crisis is unevenly affecting people and provide actionable advice to local governments.
Read the full report in Portuguese.
The executive summary is available in Portuguese and English.
Context
Research, reports, and news on climate change emphasized the urgent need for effective action, as the adverse impacts have become increasingly frequent and severe. However, insufficient efforts have been observed at the global, national, and local levels to mitigate climate change. According to a study by the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat), currently 64% of the world’s urban population is already highly exposed to climate-related disasters.
It is therefore a top priority to make visible the connection between urban and climate agendas, specifically highlighting the unique aspects of the urban context, and to place it at the center of climate action. At the same time, the causes and consequences of climate issues should remain central to urban planning. Climate justice is emerging as a critical issue in delivering effective and fair climate action.
This publication is a sequel to the 2022 edition. Using data from Brazil’s most recent census, this is a data-intensive study that examines environmental racism and climate injustice by analyzing four capitals in Brazil: Porto Alegre, Sāo Paulo, Recife, and Belém.
About the study
Climate change has both direct and indirect effects on people’s lives. Heavy rain, flooding with landslides, extreme heat, and diseases are some ways in which climate change impacts people’s livelihoods. Climate crises affect people unequally, which may be partly due to environmental racism and climate injustice.
This publication is an analytical work that focuses on the unique features of each city. By examining territorialized data, the study highlights the urgency of the climate crisis and its effects on urban areas. It emphasizes and connects the socio-territorial aspects that shape each place and identifies the populations most critically impacted by climate change. The four capitals serve as illustrative examples of a broader, representative issue affecting Brazilian cities and all large urban areas.
Credit: Instituto Polis
Findings
The study shows how the climate crisis unevenly impacts certain neighborhoods and populations in the four capital cities of Brazil.
- In Porto Alegre, families led by women, black people, and low-income groups face higher climate risks. They have limited access to urban infrastructure and basic sanitation, which are vital for building resilience. Additionally, risk-prone areas are often found in poorer neighborhoods where Black communities are predominant. However, low levels of education and, consequently, lower income limit people’s ability to respond effectively before, during, or after a crisis. The absence of housing policies that address the needs of poor households accelerates unstable urban growth, potentially creating greater dangers.
- In the city of São Paulo, favelas—improvised neighborhoods or informal settlements in Brazil—are among the most vulnerable to the climate crisis because they are often situated in environmentally fragile areas. Residents have limited access to essential public infrastructure and services—only 77% of households in favelas have access compared to 99% in predominantly white areas. Additionally, black residents make up the largest racial group living in favelas, highlighting how climate injustice and environmental racism are closely linked.
- In the city of Recife, where social segregation is widespread among high and middle social classes, environmental racism and gender inequality are evident. White people have better access to infrastructure and services and live in areas less vulnerable to extreme weather events. Women, especially the poorest, earn lower wages, take on multiple responsibilities, and during a climate crisis, are often the ones caring for the family or community.
- In the city of Belém, diseases related to climate change affect black people, children, and young people more unevenly. The former are up to 30 times more vulnerable to waterborne diseases than white people, while the latter are 13 times more vulnerable than people aged 30 or older. The lack of basic sanitation and proper urban services, therefore, has a significant impact on people’s livelihoods.
The analysis of the four cities highlights the crucial role of local governments in providing climate solutions and addressing territorial, racial, and gender inequalities that worsen the effects of the climate crisis on historically vulnerable groups.
Credit: Instituto Polis
Recommendations
The study concludes with six recommendations for local government to combat environmental racism and climate injustice.
- Favela’s upgrading and risk management: with social participation, local government can enhance environmental infrastructure projects and improve the provision of urban services in favelas. A set of emergency protocols, warnings, and management systems is essential.
- Environmental sanitation and green areas: nature-based solutions, including the renaturalization of water bodies and sanitation infrastructure, improve water drainage conditions and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Urban greening, such as parks and squares, provides milder, healthier microclimates against intense heat.
- Public health: epidemiological surveillance and investment in primary healthcare are essential.
- Institutional capacity building: local governments can improve their ability to identify environmental weaknesses and map socio-territorial vulnerabilities to support the development of a strategic climate action plan.
- Integrated care services: given the fact that climate change has a more significant impact on already vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, it is essential that local climate actions incorporate care services.
- Central housing: local governments can utilize vacant land and unoccupied buildings to provide affordable housing while preventing urban sprawl. This housing can be connected to emergency services and facilities to offer better support.
Conclusion
The experiences of the four Brazilian capitals demonstrate that climate change is deeply connected to questions of equity. Environmental racism and socio-territorial inequalities influence who faces the greatest risks and who has the least ability to respond. By aligning climate action with local realities—such as strengthening institutions, improving services, and prioritizing vulnerable groups—cities can reduce unequal impacts and create more resilient and inclusive urban futures. The way forward involves not only cutting emissions but also ensuring that every city resident, regardless of race, income, or location, has the right to safety and climate-resilient futures.
Read the executive summary here.
