by GISSELE GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
For the first time, “Colonialism” has made it into an IPCC report. Over 30 years after the first report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the word “colonialism” has finally appeared. The panel’s latest working group two report, which looks at human impacts of climate change, listed colonialism not only as a historical driver of the climate crisis but also as an ongoing threat to equity.
A large part of this landmark conclusion is driven by the fact that more social scientists, scientists of color, and women scientists were involved than in previous reports. The IPCC
also engaged with more Indigenous authors-covering Indigenous knowledge in every chapter of the working group two reports on the human impacts of climate change.
Now, government leaders and the world’s top scientists are acknowledging that decolonization must be central to the global response to climate change. This has the potential to shape future climate change policies in order to protect the most vulnerable.
The @ipcc’s mention of colonialism shows how intersectionality can not only create more historically accurate climate reports but also drive a more well-rounded climate.