Addressing 'Segregation Handicap' Could Boost NI's Climate Ambitions

New research has highlighted how addressing the "segregation handicap" could play a key role in helping Belfast meet its ambitious climate change and net zero emissions targets by 2050.

Commissioned by Belfast City Council and due to be launched today (Wednesday 18 September) at an event in 2 Royal Avenue, as part of Good Relations Week, the Segregation and the Environment: Breaking Down Barriers report identifies strong links between a legacy of segregation and division in some parts of Belfast and the city's future ability to respond to the challenges posed by climate change.

It emphasises that, if more is done to reduce the "segregation handicap", it will have the added benefit of helping Belfast achieve its vision of creating a more sustainable and resilient city for everyone by 2050.

The report outlines the environmental impact caused by duplication of services and reduced access to environmental projects as key factors.

By boosting access to, and participation in, green initiatives and improving the physical appearance of areas in and around peace walls, Belfast will be better placed to look at "environmental justice remedies" for the most disadvantaged communities, including more trees, less reliance on car use and better access to green spaces.

"This research was commissioned as part of Belfast's membership of the Resilient Cities Network, where we work with other cities worldwide to identify threats and look at potential solutions," explains Councillor Joe Duffy, Chair of the council's Shared City Partnership.

"In a city that is still segregated and divided in large parts, our ability to deal with the unexpected is hampered – not just physically, but also psychologically – but good relations projects can play a vital role in breaking down physical barriers and addressing challenges we may not always think are connected. "There is so much good work already being done, with plenty more to come, through our own Good Relations programmes, new venues like the Black Mountain Shared Space Project which opens today, and additional funding coming into the city through the PEACEPLUS programme, administered by the Special EU Programmes Body.

"Today's report launch is an opportunity to take stock of where we are at as a city and to remind ourselves of why work to improve community relations is still as important as ever, in helping us build a city that is capable of supporting our residents and addressing the threats posed by the climate crisis."

Report author Peter Osborne described the new research as a "valuable tool" in focusing attention on the continued issue of segregation, as well as outlining practical ways it can be reduced to benefit the environment.

"This report shines a light on the simple reality that, if we continue to service a segregated and divided society, our city will not be able to meet our net zero climate targets," he said.

"As such, it is imperative that we start to find ways to dismantle segregation, build community confidence and deliver public services in a way that reduces the duplication that has put us on the back foot when it comes to our efforts to achieve net zero."

Dr Amanda Slevin, Lecturer in Climate Policy, Politics and Sustainability and Co-Director of the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queen's University, said she was pleased to see a number of recommendations in the report.

In total, the research identifies 19 actions for the council to lead on, working with partners across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors. They include an eco-schools project, planting or re-wilding at an interface barrier, a youth carbon initiative and improved participation by ethnic minority groups in environmental projects and initiatives.

Dr Slevin said: "The triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution require all of us to take action.

"In articulating key issues relating to our shared environment and segregation, this important report by Belfast City Council outlines challenges we face, like the segregation handicap and security infrastructure, that hamper efforts for sustainability.

"It also offers hope and ideas for how we can enhance socio-economic and environmental justice and collectively move towards a genuinely sustainable, peaceful, fair and healthy future for everyone."