As a network following the framing of planetary health, which recognises the importance of social equity, the CLIMAR Network is committed to adhering to principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in everything we do, from the establishment of our Working Groups to our Flexible Fund.
We adopt the ESRC-funded ACCESS Network’s Guiding Principles concerning Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, which are as follows:
- Under the Equality Act 2010 it is against the law to discriminate against someone because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation
- We are committed to upholding the Equality Act, as well as avoiding exclusion or discrimination on the basis of other personal characteristics (e.g., class background, income, physical or mental health) as well as professional characteristics (e.g., career stage, discipline, sector)
- ‘Equality’ means discrimination should be eliminated and increasing equality of opportunity ensured. It means that people should be treated the same way, regardless of individual difference
- The principle of ’Equity’ goes further and should guide Environmental Social Science (ESS) research and practice. This means recognizing that each person has different circumstances and that targeted allocation of resources and opportunities may be needed to reach an equal outcome
- ‘Diversity’ is concerned with representation. Colleagues, partners and stakeholders should be valued for the different backgrounds and perspectives they have to offer
- ‘Inclusion’ means creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and is able to participate, which may involve reflecting on how we can proactively make reasonable adjustments to our usual processes. Inclusive environments often benefit everyone
- In the USA it is common to refer to DEIJ: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice. Ensuring our approach is just means ensuring that both processes and outcomes are fair.