Fairness is fundamental to sustainability. In this episode of Green Minds, host Esther Vallado talks with Henrique Gonçalves, Project Officer at SALTO Inclusion & Diversity, about the eco-competence of Supporting Fairness — the capacity to promote justice, equity, and inclusive participation in sustainability initiatives and community learning.
Henrique explains that Supporting Fairness involves recognizing structural obstacles such as discrimination, socioeconomic barriers, or unequal access to opportunities, and ensuring that marginalized communities are included in environmental and sustainability actions. Drawing on his work in youth programs, Erasmus+ projects, and climate justice initiatives, Henrique illustrates how fairness links ecological concerns with social justice, ensuring that solutions benefit all participants and amplify those most affected by environmental degradation.
A powerful personal story highlights this competence: Henrique’s early experiences in climate movements revealed a lack of diversity, prompting reflection on the importance of ensuring that all voices are heard. This insight informs his work, from designing projects to facilitating diverse stakeholder groups, to creating advisory groups that involve people with lived experiences of exclusion in co-creating activities and shaping decisions.
Henrique breaks down Supporting Fairness into three dimensions — knowledge, skills, and attitudes — aligning with the head, hands, and heart model of transformative education. Knowledge includes understanding environmental justice and intersectionality; skills involve designing inclusive activities, facilitating dialogue, and adapting methods to diverse participants; attitudes encompass empathy, curiosity, commitment to equity, and self-awareness of biases and privilege.
The episode also emphasizes non-formal and creative learning methods that foster fairness, including simulation exercises, role-playing, and theater, which help participants experience different perspectives and build empathy. Tools such as the Inclusion Meter and Inclusion and Diversity Roadmap provide practical guidance for organizations and trainers, supporting measurement of progress and ensuring inclusive, accessible programs.
Henrique discusses the challenges organizations face, such as limited funding, inconsistent inclusion practices, and the need for collaboration across ecological and social sectors. He stresses the importance of co-creation, active outreach, and linking inclusion with sustainability initiatives to build fairer, more democratic processes.
The conversation closes with a reflection on ecoliteracy itself. Henrique emphasizes that sustainability is only transformative when fairness, justice, and democracy are embedded in the green transition. Supporting Fairness enables learners and communities to participate meaningfully, creating solutions that are equitable, inclusive, and resilient. For educators, trainers, and youth workers, fostering this competence is essential for empowering future generations to act sustainably while supporting social cohesion and democratic renewal.
In this podcast, you can learn:
- What Supporting Fairness means and why it is essential for ecoliteracy
- How to integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes in inclusive sustainability practice
- Practical strategies and tools for educators, trainers, and community leaders
- How to foster participation, co-creation, and equitable decision-making
- Challenges in developing this competence and ways to overcome them
Cultivating Supporting Fairness ensures sustainability is not just about ecology, but also about creating a just, equitable, and inclusive future for people and planet.