Why a greener Bristol must also be a fairer Bristol
At Your Park Bristol & Bath, we are proud to have signed Bristol City Council’s Just Transition Declaration because we believe climate action and fairness have to go hand in hand.
That sounds simple. But it really matters.
Too often, the people most affected by poor health, poverty, disability, loneliness and climate change are the same people who have the least say in decisions about their neighbourhoods. They are also often the least likely to benefit from good parks, green spaces and nature.
That is not fair, and it is not good enough.
What is the Just Transition declaration?
The declaration sets out ten principles for making climate and ecological action fairer, including centring disadvantaged communities, making communication accessible, sharing costs and benefits fairly and creating infrastructure that works for everyone.
For us, this is not a new direction. It is already at the heart of everything we do.
What it means for us and for parks?
Fairness must come first
A just transition cannot just be about carbon targets and technical plans. It has to be about people’s lives. It has to mean better parks in the places that need them most. It has to mean listening properly to lived experience. It has to mean making sure investment reaches communities that have too often been overlooked.
For us, a greener future only works if it is also a fairer one.
Charlee x
