Differentiation as Affirmative Action: Transforming or Reinforcing Structural Inequality at the UNFCCC?

Abstract

Structural inequality is at the heart of the struggle to prevent dangerous climate change. This makes the global climate regime a particularly interesting case, when it comes to conceptualising and assessing the role of international institutions as sites for the reproduction and transformation of macro-level inequalities that structure the international system. This article uses these interlinkages to, first, assess, in how far the debates, conflicts and doubts regarding effectiveness and justifications of affirmative action at the domestic level, introduced as a reaction to domestic structural inequality, can teach us something about the actual potential of and the obstacles to the transformation of structural inequalities through differentiation internationally. Second, it assesses whether and how institutional mechanisms of categorisation and (re-)distribution within the UNFCCC have led and are likely to lead in the future to a reinforcement or a transformation of global structural inequalities.

Embracing policy paradoxes: EU’s Just Transition Fund and the aim “to leave no one behind”

“…Affirmative measures will also be designed to repair structural inequities and enhance the position of disadvantaged groups in societies (Stuart & Samman, 2017;Sommer &, Asal 2019;Prys-Hansen, 2020). Thus, characteristics associated with people's vulnerability to shocks and geographical hardships due to the transition, as well as their socio-economic statuses can be used as the eligibility criteria for introducing affirmative measures and positive discrimination.…”

“…1). Affirmative policies (Theisen, 2020) News items in various forums N = 28 and measures target the disadvantaged groups (identified according to the eligibility criteria) and facilitate their integration in society (Prys-Hansen, 2020;Sommer & Asal, 2019). The JTF is primarily meant for those who are vulnerable to shocks, deriving from climate change mitigation measures.…”

“…The paradox of inclusion by exclusion means that a certain degree of exclusion needs to take place to advance the objective to leave no one behind, and that positive discrimination should target those furthest behind first (c.f., Prys-Hansen, 2020;Sommer & Asal, 2019;Stuart & Samman, 2017). However, the exclusion should be directed towards activities that do not fit into the scope and priorities of environmental agreements (e.g.…”

A Mixed Methods Exploration of Measurement, Impact and Strategy for Affirmative Action and Socio-economic Justice in the South African Financial Sector

“…Socioeconomic justice implies establishing balance after injustice, inequity, harm or wrongdoing has been perpetrated on another. The redressing of past imbalances in societies, workplaces and political arenas calls for a balanced transformational approach aimed at creating socioeconomic equity (Collins, 2018;Prys-Hansen, 2020). Policies, procedures and practices for socioeconomic transformation are legislated as affirmative action (hereafter, AA), transformational, redress and empowerment activities in countries across the globe (Ozdemir, 2021;Kim, 2022;Enworo & Njemanze, 2022).…”

“…AA policy implementation may be slow; hence AA transformation is slow (Warikoo & Allen, 2020;Prys-Hansen, 2020). Rapid AA transformation in the workplace may be hindered by transactional rather than transformational management and leadership styles.…”