Typhoon Yagi Impacts in Bulacan. © Noel Celis / Greenpeace

The Boiling Crisis: Unequal Burdens

Climate change impacts everyone unequally. Women, children, Indigenous peoples, low-income workers, refugees, and LGBTQI+ individuals are among the most affected, facing limited access to resources, violations of rights, and exclusion from decision-making, despite being on the frontline of the crisis. 


Women

shoulder family responsibilities, lose land and income, face heightened exposure to pollution and toxic chemicals, and often lack adequate support, even though they are backbone of the global food production

Women face disproportionate challenges as a result of economic, cultural, and gender inequalities, which increase their workload and expose them to  greater health risks. In sectors such as agriculture and fisheries, where women make up the majority of the workforce, they are among the most severely affected by climate change.

Yet despite their critical role, women continue to have limited participation in shaping national and international policies. Greenpeace emphasizes the importance of recognizing and strengthening women’s role in addressing the climate crisis.

Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) Impacts in the Philippines. © Jilson Tiu / Greenpeace
People look for buried bodies and possible survivors in the rubble. At least 18 people lost their lives to a landslide caused by typhoon Kristine (Trami) at brgy Sampaloc, Talisay, Batangas Philippines. Residents believe that the landslide was caused by a quarry operation nearby. © Jilson Tiu / Greenpeace

LGBTQI+

The impacts of climate change disproportionately affect LGBTQI+ communities, particularly those who are Indigenous peoples or economically marginalized. These communities face unequal access to resources and recovery support Examples of LGBTQI+ challenges during disasters

Deepening Inequality


As climate change worsens existing inequalities, LGBTQI+ communities face higher risks of displacement, violence, insecure livelihoods, and challenges to migration due to limited legal protections.

Pride Parade in Bangkok. © Baramee  Temboonkiat / Greenpeace
Greenpeace activists join the Pride parade in Bangkok in support to climate justice, gender justice and the rights of individuals to live in a safe environment, regardless of gender. © Baramee Temboonkiat / Greenpeace

Indigenous People and Frontline Communities

Local communities and Indigenous peoples are directly impacted by top-down economic development policies that exclude their participation. Such approaches have led to inadequate development, forced evictions, and the loss of land, livelihoods, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity. 


The voices from the ground make it clear that environmental justice has never truly been realized.

  • The residents of Chana in Songkhla fighting to protect their coastline
  • The Kham Pa Lai community in Mukdahan, who were displaced by forest reclamation
  • The Moken facing the loss of their homeland from the Land Bridge project