Climate Justice in Lebanon: Focus Group Discussion Outcome Report
Beirut, Lebanon | 26 August 2026 | 26 Participants
About the Discussion
Held in Beirut on 26 August 2026, the focus group discussion brought together 26 participants in a semi-structured, open dialogue. It aimed to gather perspectives from civil society representatives who are underrepresented in climate policy discussions, facilitate the exchange of local experiences, and identify priorities for achieving climate justice.
The discussion was organized under the project "Strengthening Inclusive Civil Society Action in the Arab Region Towards Achieving Climate Justice." It also contributed to initiating a Community of Practice on climate justice, providing space for collaborative learning and engagement among civil society actors, including women and youth groups.
Key Issues Explored
The outcome report examines several interconnected dimensions of climate justice in Lebanon:
• Climate justice and structural inequalities: The relationship between climate change, unsustainable production and consumption patterns, development models, and the unequal distribution of environmental harm and adaptation capacities.
• War, displacement and climate vulnerability: How economic crisis, war and displacement have weakened communities' ability to respond to climate and environmental challenges, particularly through the destruction of homes, agricultural lands, infrastructure and livelihoods.
• Access to essential services: Inequalities in access to energy, water, transportation, healthcare and other services, with households increasingly bearing the financial burden of adaptation as public services and state capacities weaken.
• Environmental governance and accountability: The absence of comprehensive climate policies, gaps in environmental information, conflicts of interest, and the need for greater transparency and accountability in environmental decision-making.
• Energy and transportation policies: Unequal access to solar energy, challenges in public transportation, and the need to examine how energy and transport policies contribute to or reinforce social and environmental inequalities.
• The role of civil society: The importance of inclusive, evidence-based advocacy, stronger coordination among civil society actors, and connecting local experiences with national and international climate negotiations.
The Role of Civil Society
Participants emphasized the importance of moving beyond isolated climate-related projects toward more coherent and accountable environmental governance. Civil society has a role in creating spaces for dialogue among communities, public institutions, businesses and international actors, while ensuring that people most affected by climate and environmental challenges are represented in decision-making processes.
The discussions also highlighted the need to strengthen access to information, clarify institutional responsibilities, monitor environmental policies and promote transparent, rights-based approaches to reconstruction, environmental restoration and adaptation financing.
Access the Report
Read the complete outcome report to explore the discussions, experiences and priorities identified by civil society participants in Lebanon.
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