In conversation with Nadia Whittome: on intersectionality, climate justice, and the need for systemic change
By Ellen Salter, Megan Light
February 2021
Nadia Whittome is a British Labour MP for Nottingham East. Elected at the age of 23, Nadia became the baby of the house in 2019 as the youngest MP. This month, the Climate Just Collective had the honour and privilege of interviewing Nadia and finding more about her passion for climate and social justice.
In 2019, you were elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Nottingham East – What inspired you to enter politics?
Growing up in a community which was badly hit by austerity showed me the real world impact of political decisions. The effects of the Bedroom Tax in particular was the spark that led to me being politically active as a teenager.
I think this experience of growing up in a society which is beset by so many crises - from the environment, to low pay, to housing - means that many of my generation have taken an active interest in politics. Politics has never been about a career for me, but rather how I can best fight for my community and for the systemic change our world needs.
“Politics has never been about a career for me, but rather how I can best fight for my community and for the systemic change our world needs.”
In February 2020, you opened a House of Commons debate on climate justice. Can you talk about the importance of this and any key lessons learned from the discussions?
Climate justice is essential in the fight against the climate crisis. Those least responsible for climate change already suffer its gravest consequences. We must ensure that the impact of the climate crisis and the burden of addressing it do not fall disproportionately on those who are most marginalised.
As the sixth wealthiest nation on Earth, we have a duty to do everything we can to cut our carbon emissions. I was pleased to hear examples in the debate from various local councils across the country who have declared a climate emergency and have set themselves ambitious carbon budgets. This is a positive step, but we need more dramatic action at a national level from the government.
In light of recent events (the Covid-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter and wider rights movements), have you noticed any notable changes / heightened awareness to policy regarding intersectional environmentalism? And if so, how has this change manifested?
I think people are waking up to the way in which all of these different issues are related.
With all these crises occurring alongside each other, it’s more apparent that they are interconnected, and people are making policy demands which overlap across a number of issues. In America, the outrage at the Flint water crisis, and its relationship with race and class, has led to the Environmental Protection Agency adding environmental justice to its goals. Here in the UK, Public Health England reported that BAME people were up to twice as likely as that white people to die if they contracted Coronavirus. They pointed to systemic racism as a potential cause for this disparity, but were criticised for failing to consider the impact of air pollution. So some progress is being made but there’s still an incredibly long way to go.
How important is 2021 for intersectional climate change policy; and what are your main ambitions for the year ahead?
One of the policies I will be pushing for is greater investment in a modern, affordable and environmentally friendly network of public transport. This would not only help to cut carbon emissions, but would also help tackle air pollution which disproportionately affects working class BAME communities. It would improve the lives of people of colour who rely to a greater extent on buses and trains to get around too.
The focus must also be on COP26 in November and ensuring that meaningful and urgent commitments to action on climate change and environmental justice come out of it. It’s a historic opportunity that simply cannot be wasted. Decisions must be made and acted upon that keep fossil fuels in the ground, transform our food systems, decarbonise our production and consumption, restore ecosystems, and completely change our economies at a scale that matches the enormity of the crisis at hand.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone wanting to make a positive difference?
Individual consumer actions won’t even begin to meet the scale of the challenge, so we need to be campaigning for deep, structural changes. I would urge people to not just think about saving energy in your home or changing what you buy, but to get involved in climate activism. Join your local environmental activist group, attend demonstrations when that’s possible again and keep up the pressure on the government to act.
© 2021 Climate Just Collective