Friends of the Earth and CECU present a new report in which They propose measures to achieve the renaturalization of cities with policies that protect the right to housing and that do not generate the expulsion of citizens from their neighborhoods. The organizations warn of the situation of vulnerability to which a large part of the population in lower-income neighborhoods is subjected when it comes to creating green areas, which can lead to expulsion from their homes if privacy protection policies are not applied. housing, especially in the context of climate change. The report demonstrates the great urban injustices existing and their relationship with nature, and proposes urgent measures to address both issues through public policies
Friends of the Earth and the Federation of Consumers and Users (CECU) publish the report «Right to nature, Right to the city» in which measures are presented to combine access to decent housing and the right to green spaces. In it they compile different representations of social inequality in the city and its relationship with nature.
Every day it is more urgent to take effective measures to stop the worst effects of the climate and biodiversity crisis. High temperatures cause more than 4,700 deaths a year in Spain alone. In this sense, cities are a key space for action. Although they only occupy 2% of the Earth’s surface, they bring together more than half of the population and are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The renaturalization of cities It is one of the measures that can favor both the adaptation and mitigation of climate change. Urban green areas allow the reduction of temperatures on a local scale, in addition to generating meeting and leisure spaces and improving people’s health, both physical and mental. “Despite the importance of nature for human life, we see great differences in access to green areas due to income issues, which must be corrected immediately,” comments Miguel Díaz, head of Biodiversity and Territory at Friends of the earth.
Friends of the Earth and CECU publish the report “Right to nature, Right to the city”
Concerned about the lack of ambitious plans to renature cities, the organizations add the negative effects that these projects can have due to the increase in housing prices, closely related to “green gentrification”, which destroys neighborhood networks and deprives citizens of the right to nature. “Controlling rental prices and protecting access to housing are essential mechanisms to guarantee that the necessary implementation of housing projects renaturation “is carried out without leaving anyone behind,” says Clara Vázquez, head of Sustainability at BLIND.
The organizations establish a series of emergency measures, for which it is necessary to have joint work between all administrations, based on two key criteria: on the one hand, achieving implementation of the urban renaturation by 2030 that allows compliance with the criteria established by the WHO (at least 30% vegetation cover and that all homes are located a maximum of 300 m from a green area), and on the other hand, ensure the right to nature, so that renaturalization projects do not contribute to real estate speculation.
To achieve this, several key measures are necessary, from regulating rental prices and limiting the expansion of tourist apartments, to the prohibition of felling mature trees in good condition, to the construction and recognition of community climate shelters.
Friends of the Earth and CECU They urge public administrations to take these measures into account, and put them into practice urgently at a key moment to guarantee adaptation to climate change and ensure access to housing.