🚨 Climate Inequality

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.08.06

0️⃣ Social Gaps in Heat Wave Damage and Support Challenges for Vulnerable Groups

📌 Climate Crisis: "More Heat, Less Help" - Growing Heat Wave Inequality

💬 While heat wave damage from the climate crisis worsens each year, support for vulnerable groups who directly suffer from it is not enough. In Seoul's Seongdong District, only 20 out of 88 households that applied for heat-blocking paint services received support. The Ministry of Environment's budget for supporting climate crisis vulnerable groups has stayed at 9.5 billion won for three years since 2023, with only about half of local government applications receiving actual support nationwide. The National Human Rights Commission recommended system improvements to protect vulnerable groups, but real policy changes have been slow. "Climate inequality" - where the same heat wave causes different levels of damage based on social and economic conditions - is getting worse, making urgent solutions necessary.

💡 Summary

• Climate inequality is when climate crisis damage affects people differently based on their social and economic conditions.
• The budget for supporting vulnerable groups has stayed the same for three years, with actual support at only 50% of applications.
• Low-income families, elderly people, and disabled people are more vulnerable to heat waves but receive insufficient support.

1️⃣ Definition

Climate Inequality means how climate crisis damage affects people differently based on their social and economic conditions. Even when experiencing the same heat waves, cold spells, or typhoons, the level of damage varies greatly depending on a person's income level, housing conditions, health status, and social position.

Especially, socially vulnerable groups like low-income families, elderly people, disabled people, and those with chronic diseases suffer more from climate crises while lacking the resources and ability to respond, creating a double burden.

💡 Why is this important?

• Climate crises create a vicious cycle that makes existing social inequality even worse.
• It's directly connected to survival rights and needs systematic national-level responses.
• It's an important policy issue from social integration and fairness perspectives.
• It has become a key issue in climate justice and human rights protection.

2️⃣ Current Status and Structural Problems of Climate Inequality

📕 Heat Wave Damage Reality for Vulnerable Groups

• Differences in housing conditions determine the scale of damage. Key situations include:

  • Low-income families living in basement rooms, rooftop rooms, and small studios have poor insulation and lack cooling facilities.
  • About 15% of all households spend summer with only fans and no air conditioning.
  • Many people can't properly use air conditioners even when they have them due to electricity bill burdens.
  • Elderly people living alone face high risks of heat-related illnesses while enduring heat waves alone.
  • Disabled people and those with chronic diseases face greater risks due to poor body temperature control abilities.

• Economic conditions determine response capabilities. Key gaps include:

  • Middle class and above can freely use air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and other cooling devices.
  • They have the economic means to escape to vacation spots or indoor facilities.
  • Meanwhile, low-income families must limit cooling use due to electricity bill burdens.
  • They must rely on heat wave shelters or public facilities, but accessibility and convenience are poor.
  • They also face economic constraints in healthcare and medical services.

📕 Limitations of Government Support Policies

• Support targets are extremely limited due to budget shortages. Key problems include:

  • The Ministry of Environment's climate crisis vulnerable group support budget has been fixed at 9.5 billion won for three years since 2023.
  • The actual support rate nationwide is only about 50% of local government applications.
  • For heat-blocking paint projects, only 20 out of 88 applying households in Seoul's Seongdong District received support.
  • Long waiting lists often prevent people from receiving support when they actually need it.

• The types and scope of support programs are limited. Key limitations include:

  • Main programs include heat-blocking paint, insulation installation, and cooling device support.
  • Direct living cost support like electricity bill assistance and medical cost support is insufficient.
  • Emergency response systems and safety nets are not systematically established.
  • Region-specific and group-specific customized support programs are lacking.
  • Support is often one-time only with insufficient ongoing management systems.

💡 Key Factors Worsening Climate Inequality

1. Income Gaps: Differences in cooling cost burden ability and housing conditions
2. Housing Inequality: Gaps in insulation performance and cooling facilities
3. Health Inequality: Vulnerability due to underlying diseases and physical condition differences
4. Information Access: Differences in heat wave response information and support system awareness
5. Social Isolation: Living alone and lack of social support networks

3️⃣ National Human Rights Commission Recommendations and Improvement Directions

✅ Human Rights Approach and Need for System Improvements

• A paradigm shift to recognize climate crises as human rights issues is happening. Key changes include:

  • In December 2024, the National Human Rights Commission recommended system improvements to the President and Environment Minister.
  • It clearly stated that climate crises go beyond simple environmental problems and are directly connected to survival rights and health rights.
  • It defined protecting vulnerable groups as a basic national duty and demanded active intervention.
  • It emphasized the need to strengthen policies from the perspective of fulfilling national protection duties under international human rights law.

• Specific improvement measures are being proposed. Key recommendations include:

  • Greatly expanding the budget for supporting climate crisis vulnerable groups is needed.
  • Creating unified national support standards to reduce differences between local governments is required.
  • Building emergency response systems and introducing 24-hour monitoring systems is necessary.
  • Expanding direct living cost support like electricity bill discounts and medical cost support is demanded.
  • Conducting vulnerable group reality surveys and developing customized support programs is urgent.

✅ International Examples and Future Tasks

• Advanced countries are attempting systematic approaches from climate justice perspectives. Key examples include:

  • France operates a comprehensive survey and safety check system for vulnerable groups during heat wave alerts.
  • Germany directly supports cooling costs through energy voucher systems for low-income families.
  • Japan expands heat wave shelters and provides transportation services.
  • The United States promotes Environmental Justice policies at the federal government level.

• Korea also needs to build comprehensive and long-term response systems. Key tasks include:

  • Special legislation for resolving climate inequality or amending existing laws is needed.
  • Organizing role divisions and cooperation systems between central and local governments is required.
  • Securing stable funding sources for budget allocation is urgent.
  • Building monitoring and evaluation systems through cooperation with civil society is necessary.
  • Comprehensive review of urban planning and housing policies from climate crisis adaptation perspectives is demanded.

4️⃣ Related Term Explanations

🔎 Climate Justice

• Climate justice is the concept that climate crisis burdens and benefits should be fairly distributed.
  • Climate justice means pursuing social fairness in the causes, results, and response measures of climate change. It points out the unfairness of reality where people who contributed least to climate crises suffer the most damage and works to solve this.
  • Key elements of climate justice include: First, distributive justice where climate crisis damage and response costs should be fairly shared. Second, procedural justice where all stakeholders have the right to participate in climate policy decision processes. Third, recognition justice where vulnerable groups' experiences and knowledge should be properly acknowledged.
  • Resolving climate inequality is a core task in realizing climate justice. The basic principle of climate justice is that countries and society must actively intervene to prevent socially and economically vulnerable people from suffering greater damage due to climate crises.

🔎 Heat-Related Illness

• Heat-related illness refers to diseases caused by exposure to high temperatures.
  • Heat-related illness means acute diseases caused by rising body temperature, including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, and heat cramps. It occurs when body temperature control functions decline or severe dehydration happens during heat waves, and can be life-threatening in severe cases.
  • Main types of heat-related illness include: First, heat stroke is the most dangerous, with body temperature rising above 40 degrees and consciousness disorders appearing. Second, heat exhaustion is caused by dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from excessive sweating. Third, heat syncope is temporary loss of consciousness due to blood vessel expansion. Fourth, heat cramps are muscle spasms due to salt deficiency.
  • Vulnerable groups face especially high risks of heat-related illness. People over 65, chronic disease patients, outdoor workers, and children are high-risk groups requiring special care and protection. The government monitors occurrence status through heat-related illness surveillance systems.

🔎 Heat-Blocking Paint

• Heat-blocking paint is special paint that reflects solar heat to lower indoor temperatures.
  • Heat-blocking paint contains special pigments that reflect near-infrared rays from sunlight. When applied to building rooftops or exterior walls, it can lower indoor temperatures by 3-5 degrees. Also called Cool Roof projects, it's technology that can achieve high cooling effects at low cost.
  • Advantages of heat-blocking paint include: First, achieving cooling effects at relatively low cost. Second, simple construction allowing work completion in short time periods. Third, electricity bill savings providing long-term economic benefits. Fourth, practical effects without harming building appearance.
  • The government supports heat-blocking paint application projects for climate crisis vulnerable groups, but low actual support rates compared to applicants due to budget shortages is a problem. Expanding support scale so more vulnerable groups can receive benefits is needed for future improvements.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How can I apply for climate crisis vulnerable group support?

A: You can apply through your local government or community center.

• Climate crisis vulnerable group support programs are operated by local governments, so you can inquire at your local district office or community center. Main application procedures are: First, check if you qualify as a support target such as basic livelihood recipients, near-poor households, people over 65, or disabled people. Second, prepare necessary documents (ID, income certificate, housing proof documents, etc.) and submit application forms to your local community center. Third, confirm support necessity and construction possibility through on-site surveys. Fourth, receive services like heat-blocking paint application, insulation installation, or cooling device support based on selection results.
• However, not all applicants can receive support due to budget limitations, and priorities are determined by comprehensively considering income levels and housing conditions. Applications are often accepted in the first half of each year, so please check announcements through your local government website or community center.

Q: Is there anything individuals can do to help resolve climate inequality?

A: Individuals can contribute in various ways.

• Direct help methods include: First, showing interest and checking on elderly neighbors living alone or vulnerable groups. During heat waves, you can check if nearby neighbors in difficulty are safe and provide help when needed. Second, participating in volunteer work or donation activities for local heat wave shelter operations. Third, raising voices for policy improvements through related civic groups or NGO activities. Fourth, practicing energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction to help solve fundamental causes of climate crises.
• From policy perspectives, it's also important to demand policies for resolving climate inequality during local elections or parliamentary audits, and to promote the necessity of securing related budgets. Most importantly, you can start by raising awareness about climate inequality problems and informing people around you.

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