Climate Change and Disability: An Overlooked Connection
Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation are reshaping communities worldwide. Yet, what is less recognized is the fact that persons with disabilities are among the most affected by climate change—but also among the most excluded from climate policies and solutions.
Barriers such as inaccessible disaster preparedness plans, exclusion from decision-making, and a lack of disability-inclusive climate policies mean that many persons with disabilities face disproportionate risks—from being unable to evacuate during disasters to losing access to vital services due to climate-related disruptions.
Climate language, concepts, and skills necessary for effective climate advocacy are often missing from traditional capacity-building programmes on disability rights and inclusive development. There is an urgent need to bridge this gap, learn from one another and build shared capacities at the national level—so that together with mainstream climate activists organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and disability activists are fully equipped to contribute their lived experience and expertise to climate solutions.
To respond to this need, a new virtual training programme has been developed as part of the Global Disability Fund-funded joint programme Climate Change, Disability Inclusion and Intersectionality, implemented by UNDP, ILO and OHCHR in collaboration with CBM Global. This innovative training developed by CBM Global aims to equip all practitioners and advocates across the climate sector with the knowledge and tools needed to ensure that climate action is truly inclusive.
What Makes This Training Unique?
The Virtual Training on Disability-Inclusive Climate Action is a first-of-its-kind initiative. It offers a comprehensive, interactive, and accessible learning experience for those working at the intersection of climate action and disability inclusion. Co developed with OPDs and designed to support OPDs in Jordan, Madagascar, Nepal, the Philippines, Somalia, and South Africa, the training was piloted between May and September 2024.
✅ Developed through strong partnerships: Co-created with national OPDs, the World Blind Union, the International Disability Alliance, CARE International, Global Greengrants Fund, Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), the Irish Government’s National NDC Coordinator, and various UN agencies.
✅ Interactive: Tailored for learners from diverse backgrounds, the training includes Q&A sessions, flexible support, continuous feedback loops, and integration of both technical knowledge and lived experience.
✅ Accessible: Sessions include use of local language, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning, and regular sensory breaks to accommodate diverse accessibility requirements.
✅ Bridging the knowledge gap: The training demystifies climate concepts and highlights why disability inclusion is essential to climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation. It challenges the myth that climate is not a priority for persons with disabilities.
✅ Practical and solution-oriented: Participants gain concrete tools to implement inclusive policies and programmes at local and national levels. The training also fosters a safe space for dialogue, peer learning, and closer collaboration between OPDs and climate actors.
What Does the Training Cover?
The course is structured around four core modules:
🌍 The case for Climate Justice: the issue of our time, what’s the science, what’s the urgency?
🌍 Understanding the national climate space: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Mitigation Plans, National Adaptation Plans, National DRR plans
🌍 Joint working to support inclusive climate action identifying strategic priorities and crafting joint messages for an inclusive Just Transition
🌍 Engaging in NDC reviews: a practical session with NDC negotiators and climate activists to share top tips
Why This Matters Now
As the world accelerates its climate action, the principle of “leaving no one behind” must guide every step. Persons with disabilities continue to be disproportionately affected by climate impacts—yet their voices are still underrepresented in climate planning and decision-making. This training is designed to change that reality, by empowering disability activists, OPDs, and allies with the knowledge and tools to influence inclusive climate action.
The training is open-source and available for non-commercial use with appropriate acknowledgment. Join the movement, share the resource in your networks, and contact us to learn more or request access to the training. Together, we can build a climate-resilient future for everyone.
Contact us to learn more or request access to the virtual training