Gender Mandates in Climate Policy

Before you start

In the last few years, the UNFCCC – the only one out of three Rio Conventions that lacked mandates on women’s rights and gender equality from the outset – has made major strides in integrating gender across all thematic areas in the negotiations. In 2014, the Lima Work Programme on Gender launched, and in 2015, the Paris Agreement integrated gender equality as a preambular principle for all climate action, as well as in relation to adaptation and capacity building. In 2017, the first Gender Action Plan was adopted, followed in 2019 by the adoption of the enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender and its Gender Action Plan. Additional decisions have aimed to enhance gender equality via both policy and practice, encouraging gender balance indecision-making as well as responsiveness to gender issues in the development, implementation and monitoring of climate change policies and actions.

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Decision -/CP.26

Glasgow work programme on Action for Climate Empowerment

Theme
Tags 
GB
GM
Event 
COP26
Year 
2021
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

Reaffirming the key role that a broad range of stakeholders, such as national, regional and local governments, educational and cultural institutions, museums, the private sector, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, decision makers, scientists, the media, teachers, youth, women and indigenous peoples, play in ensuring Action for Climate Empowerment,

 

I. Guiding principles

3. The Glasgow work programme shall be guided by:

(d) A gender and intergenerational approach;

 

IV. Implementing the six elements of Action for Climate Empowerment

A. Parties and non-Party stakeholders

1. Education

18. Parties and non-Party stakeholders are encouraged to collaborate on, promote, facilitate, develop and implement formal and non-formal education and training programmes focused on climate change at all levels, targeting the involvement of women and youth in particular, including by organizing exchanges or secondments of personnel to provide training for experts.

B. Parties

3. Public awareness

27. Parties are encouraged to:

(g) Create communities of practice, knowledge and learning that are available and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, including women, children and youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

4. Public access to information

28. Parties are encouraged to:

(f) Improve public access to information on climate change at the national and local level using a range of methods and tools, taking into account the different ways particular communities, groups and individuals, including women and children and youth, may be impacted by climate change.

5. Public participation

29. Parties are encouraged to:

(a) Seek public participation and input, including from youth, women, civil society organizations and other groups, in formulating and implementing efforts to address climate change and in relation to preparing national communications, and encourage the involvement and participation of representatives of all stakeholders and major groups in the climate change negotiation process;

(b) Foster the participation of all stakeholders in ACE implementation and invite them to report thereon. In particular, enhance the active participation of youth, women, civil society organizations and the media;

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties and the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement,

Recalling Articles 4 and 6 of the Convention and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, Also recalling decisions 15/CP.18, 19/CP.20, 17/CP.22, 15/CP.25 and 17/CMA.1,

Further recalling decisions 17/CP.22 and 17/CMA.1, in which it was decided that efforts related to implementing Article 6 of the Convention and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement should be referred to as Action for Climate Empowerment,

Reaffirming the importance of all six elements of Action for Climate Empowerment – education, training, public awareness, public participation, public access to information and international cooperation on climate change – to achieving the objective of the Convention and the purpose and goals of the Paris Agreement, Recognizing that Action for Climate Empowerment plays a key role in promoting the changes in lifestyles, attitudes and behaviours needed to foster low-emission, climateresilient and sustainable development,

Reaffirming the key role that a broad range of stakeholders, such as national, regional and local governments, educational and cultural institutions, museums, the private sector, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, decision makers, scientists, the media, teachers, youth, women and indigenous peoples, play in ensuring Action for Climate Empowerment,

Acknowledging the importance of linkages between activities undertaken to support Action for Climate Empowerment and other relevant international arrangements, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Education for Sustainable Development for 2030, as well as regional agreements,

Noting with appreciation the contributions of Parties and observers, including the members of the United Nations Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness, to supporting Action for Climate Empowerment work undertaken to date,

Recognizing the importance of taking a long-term, strategic and country-driven approach to Action for Climate Empowerment at the local, national, regional and international level, including strengthening support for local, national and regional institutional and sectoral expertise and capacity for its implementation,

Acknowledging the growing interest and engagement of youth in climate action and the critical role of youth as agents of change, and calling for further enhancement of youth participation in climate change processes and in unleashing the potential of Action for Climate Empowerment,

Recognizing that ensuring the availability of and access to sufficient financial resources and technical support for adequately implementing Action for Climate Empowerment continues to be a challenge for all Parties, but particularly for developing country Parties, 

Having completed the review of the Doha work programme on Article 6 of the Convention,

...

 

I. Guiding principles

1. The Glasgow work programme on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) sets out the scope of and provides the basis for activities related to implementing ACE in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and the Paris Agreement. The work programme serves as a flexible framework for countrydriven action that addresses the specific needs and circumstances of Parties and reflects their national priorities and initiatives while building long-term capacity and expertise in developed and developing countries for implementing ACE, including by promoting strong domestic enabling environments.

2. The Glasgow work programme builds on work undertaken in response to relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA).

3. The Glasgow work programme shall be guided by:

(a) A country-driven approach;

(b) Cost-effectiveness;

(c) Flexibility;

(d) A gender and intergenerational approach;

(e) A phased approach that integrates activities under Article 6 of the Convention and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement into climate change programmes and strategies;

(f) The promotion of partnerships, networks and synergies, in particular synergies among conventions;

(g) An interdisciplinary multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder and participatory approach;

(h) A holistic systematic approach;

(i) The principles of sustainable development

 

IV. Implementing the six elements of Action for Climate Empowerment

A. Parties and non-Party stakeholders

17. As part of their national programmes to implement the Convention and the Paris Agreement, and taking into account national circumstances, Parties and non-Party stakeholders are encouraged to undertake activities under the six ACE elements, which are listed in paragraphs 18–23 below.

1. Education

18. Parties and non-Party stakeholders are encouraged to collaborate on, promote, facilitate, develop and implement formal and non-formal education and training programmes focused on climate change at all levels, targeting the involvement of women and youth in particular, including by organizing exchanges or secondments of personnel to provide training for experts.

...

B. Parties

24. As part of their national programmes and activities in implementing the Convention and the Paris Agreement, and within the framework of the Glasgow work programme, Parties could undertake the activities listed in paragraphs 25–30 below, as appropriate.

1. Education

25. Parties are encouraged to:

(a) Integrate climate change learning into the curricula of schools and other institutions that provide formal education, and support non-formal and informal education on climate change, including respect for and inclusion of indigenous and traditional knowledge;

(b) Strengthen education, training and skills development in national institutions to deliver action on climate change learning.

2. Training

26. Parties are encouraged to:

(a) Develop tools and methodologies for supporting climate change training and skills development through collaboration, and provide training programmes for groups with a key role in climate change communication and education, including journalists, teachers, academics, youth, children and community leaders;

(b) Enhance the capacity of teachers and academics to integrate climate into their curricula by developing materials and promoting training focused on climate change at the regional and international level, where appropriate;

(c) Train government officials from different ministries and departments, including those working in local government, on how climate change relates to their respective areas of work with a view to strengthening institutional and technical capacity.

3. Public awareness

27. Parties are encouraged to:

(a) Inform the public on the causes of climate change and sources of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as on actions that can be taken at all levels to address climate change;

(b) Encourage the public to contribute to mitigation and adaptation actions as part of public awareness programmes;

(c) Develop strategies for communicating on climate change on the basis of targeted sociological research with a view to encouraging behavioural change;

(d) Conduct surveys, including of knowledge, attitudes, behaviour and practices, to establish the level of public awareness of climate issues, which can serve as a basis for further work and support the monitoring of the impact of activities;

(e) Develop criteria for identifying good practices for ACE and disseminate information thereon, at the national or regional level according to national circumstances and capacities, and promote the sharing of such practices;

(f) Conduct government campaigns to inform the public on issues such as climate change, climate action and vulnerabilities, including through social media, electronic communication, festivals and cultural events, or by partnering with urban and rural local communities;

(g) Create communities of practice, knowledge and learning that are available and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, including women, children and youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

4. Public access to information

28. Parties are encouraged to:

(a) Increase the availability of copyright-free and translated material on climate change, in accordance with laws and standards relating to the protection of copyrighted material;

(b) Seek opportunities to widely disseminate information on climate change. Measures could include translating information into other languages, as appropriate, and distributing simplified versions of key documents on climate change, including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports;

(c) Include accurate information on climate change science and mitigation on national and subnational government websites; (d) Make scientific information on climate change mitigation and adaptation freely available and accessible to the general public;

(e) Make national climate reports available in local languages for vulnerable communities, including people with special needs;

(f) Improve public access to information on climate change at the national and local level using a range of methods and tools, taking into account the different ways particular communities, groups and individuals, including women and children and youth, may be impacted by climate change.

5. Public participation

29. Parties are encouraged to:

(a) Seek public participation and input, including from youth, women, civil society organizations and other groups, in formulating and implementing efforts to address climate change and in relation to preparing national communications, and encourage the involvement and participation of representatives of all stakeholders and major groups in the climate change negotiation process;

(b) Foster the participation of all stakeholders in ACE implementation and invite them to report thereon. In particular, enhance the active participation of youth, women, civil society organizations and the media;

(c) Establish public–private or public–non-profit partnerships between national ACE focal points for implementing ACE activities (e.g. university partnerships);

(d) Hold frequent, inclusive civil society consultations on climate decision-making, including follow-up processes with specific outcomes such as feedback surveys that enable participants to express how they feel their input was used;

(e) Develop guidelines for enhancing public participation in climate change decision-making and the inclusion of children and youth, and for assisting local governments and the public in climate change decision-making.

6. International cooperation

30. Parties are encouraged to:

(a) Seek to enhance cooperation and coordination in developing and implementing ACE activities at the international and regional level. This includes identifying partners and building networks with other Parties, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, the private sector, provincial and local governments, and community-based organizations. Parties should also promote and facilitate the exchange of information and materials and the sharing of experience and good practices;

(b) Promote and encourage regional programmes and projects developed by Parties, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, the private sector, provincial and local governments, and community-based organizations that support the implementation of ACE and promote the sharing of experience, including through the dissemination of best practices and lessons learned and the exchange of information and data.

Decision -/CP.26

Report of the Green Climate Fund to the Conference of the Parties and guidance to the Green Climate Fund

Theme
Finance
Tags 
GB
GM
Event 
COP26
Year 
2021
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

5. Encourages further collaboration and engagement between the Green Climate Fund, the Climate Technology Centre and Network and the Technology Executive Committee, through continued joint work, as well as collaboration on events, and taking into consideration elements related to gender mainstreaming and observer engagement;

14. Encourages the Board to continue the integration of gender considerations into its activities, including through its gender policy and by promoting gender balance across the structures of the Fund;

 

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling decision 3/CP.17, annex,

1. Welcomes the reports of the Green Climate Fund to the Conference of the Parties at its twenty-sixth session,1 including the list of actions taken by the Board of the Green Climate Fund (hereinafter referred to as the Board) in response to guidance received from the Conference of the Parties;

2. Also welcomes the continued efforts of the Green Climate Fund to make a significant and ambitious contribution to the global effort to meet the goals set by the international community in relation to combating climate change;

3. Further welcomes the progress of the Green Climate Fund in 2020–2021, including in relation to guidance provided by the Conference of the Parties:

(a) The increase in the number of funding proposals approved, which brings the total amount approved by the Board to USD 10 billion to support implementation of 190 adaptation and mitigation projects and programmes in 127 developing countries;

(b) The increase in the number of entities accredited by the Board, which brings the total number of accredited entities to 112, of which 72 are direct access entities;

(c) The approval of its Updated Strategic Plan for 2020–2023,2 Integrated Results Management Framework and a results tracking tool;

(d) The revision of its environmental and social policy to reaffirm its commitment to preventing sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual harassment; administrative remedies and exclusions policy; and guidelines to facilitate consideration by the Board of Independent Redress Mechanism reports on requests for reconsideration, grievances and complaints;

(e) The approval of its evaluation policy;

(f) The continued collaboration between the Green Climate Fund, the Climate Technology Centre and Network and the Technology Executive Committee;

(g) The collaboration between the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Committee and the Least Developed Countries Expert Group;

4. Welcomes the long-term vision on complementarity, coherence and collaboration between the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility and requests the Board to enhance coherence and complementarity with other climate finance delivery channels with a view to enhancing the impact and effectiveness of its work;

5. Encourages further collaboration and engagement between the Green Climate Fund, the Climate Technology Centre and Network and the Technology Executive Committee, through continued joint work, as well as collaboration on events, and taking into consideration elements related to gender mainstreaming and observer engagement;

6. Reiterates the request to the Board to continue efforts to maintain the balance in the allocation of resources between adaptation and mitigation;

7. Encourages the Board to further clarify the role of data and information from, inter alia, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and traditional, local and indigenous knowledge and practices in the assessment of concept notes, project preparation funding applications and funding proposals;

8. Also encourages the Board to strengthen country ownership and regional management by proactively engaging national designated authorities in all aspects of the project and programme cycle;

9. Takes note of the exceptional circumstances of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and its significant impact on the implementation of the Board’s updated four-year workplan, recognizes the Board’s efforts during that period and encourages the Board to continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its work;

10. Takes note of the continued efforts of the Board to provide financial resources for activities relevant to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage in developing country Parties consistent with the existing investment results framework and funding windows and structures of the Green Climate Fund, including through the Project Preparation Facility and the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme;

11. Notes the significant number of remaining policy gaps, including updating the accreditation framework including approving the project-specific assessment approach, updating the simplified approval process, approving the policy on programmatic approaches, completing policies related to the investment framework, and addressing matters related to the Private Sector Facility and strategy, as well as outstanding matters from the rules of procedure of the Board, and urges the Board to prioritize closing the policy gaps as a matter of urgency and to explore diversifying its selection of financial instruments for addressing climate risk including parametric insurance for climatic events;

12. Takes note of the engagement of the President of the Conference of the Parties on the matter of granting privileges and immunities for the Green Climate Fund and its officials and invites the Board to continue efforts to ensure that the Fund enjoys privileges and immunities as are necessary;

13. Urges the Board to finalize in a timely manner its work related to the guidance and arrangements of the Conference of the Parties on financing for forests and alternative approaches as mandated by decision 7/CP.21, paragraphs 23–25;

14. Encourages the Board to continue the integration of gender considerations into its activities, including through its gender policy and by promoting gender balance across the structures of the Fund;

15. Invites the Board to consider ways of improving access to the Fund for local non-governmental and private sector organizations; 

16. Also invites Parties to submit to the secretariat views and recommendations on elements of guidance for the Green Climate Fund via the submission portal5 no later than 10 weeks prior to the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (November 2022);

17. Requests the Standing Committee on Finance to take into consideration the submissions referred to in paragraph 16 above when preparing its draft guidance for the Green Climate Fund for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its twenty-seventh session and the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement at its fourth session (November 2022);

18. Also requests the Board of the Green Climate Fund to include in its annual report to the Conference of the Parties information on the steps it has taken to implement the guidance provided in this decision;

19. Takes note of decision -/CMA.36 and decides to transmit to the Green Climate Fund the guidance from the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement contained in paragraphs 2–8 of that decision.

Decision -/CMP.16

Report of the Adaptation Fund Board for 2020 and 2021

Theme
Finance
Tags 
GM
Event 
CMP16
Year 
2021
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

2. Notes the following information, actions and decisions relating to the Adaptation Fund Board presented in the reports referred to in paragraph 1 above:

(q) The approval of funding decisions for readiness grants amounting to USD 234,820, consisting of South–South cooperation grants and technical assistance grants for the environmental and social safeguards policy and the gender policy; and a new readiness support package grant window following a successful pilot phase;

(x) The approval of the updated Adaptation Fund gender policy and action plan and application of the updated Adaptation Fund project performance report template by implementing entities to track progress more systematically;

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol,

Recalling decisions 1/CMP.3, 1/CMP.4, 2/CMP.10, 1/CMP.11, 2/CMP.12, 1/CMP.13, 1/CMP.14 and 3/CMP.15,

Also recalling decision 13/CMA.1,

1. Takes note of the annual reports of the Adaptation Fund Board for 2020 and 2021 and the information contained therein;1

2. Notes the following information, actions and decisions relating to the Adaptation Fund Board presented in the reports referred to in paragraph 1 above:

(q) The approval of funding decisions for readiness grants amounting to USD 234,820, consisting of South–South cooperation grants and technical assistance grants for the environmental and social safeguards policy and the gender policy; and a new readiness support package grant window following a successful pilot phase;

(x) The approval of the updated Adaptation Fund gender policy and action plan and application of the updated Adaptation Fund project performance report template by implementing entities to track progress more systematically;

 

Decision -/CP.26

Matters relating to the Standing Committee on Finance

Theme
Finance
Tags 
GM
Event 
COP26
Year 
2022
Gender references Elaborated language Download PDF

Gender reference

26. Encourages the Standing Committee on Finance to continue to enhance its efforts towards ensuring gender-responsiveness in implementing its workplan;

Elaborated language

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling Articles 4 and 11 of the Convention,

Also recalling decisions 12/CP.2, 12/CP.3, 1/CP.16, paragraph 112, and 2/CP.17, paragraphs 120–121, 5/CP.18, 5/CP.19, 7/CP.19, 6/CP.20, 6/CP.21, 8/CP.22, 7/CP.23, 8/CP.23, 4/CP.24, 11/CP.25 and 5/CMA.2,

Taking note of decision -/CMA.3,

1. Welcomes the 2020 and 2021 reports of the Standing Committee on Finance; 

...

III. Report of the Standing Committee on Finance

20. Expresses its appreciation to the Governments of Belgium, Japan and Norway and to the European Commission for their financial contributions to support the work of the Standing Committee on Finance;

21. Endorses the workplan of the Standing Committee on Finance for 20228 and underlines the importance of the Standing Committee on Finance focusing its work in 2022 in accordance with its current mandates;

22. Also endorses the outline of the technical report of the fifth Biennial Assessment and Overview of Climate Finance Flows of the Standing Committee on Finance and underscores that this report will continue to contribute to assessing the achievement of the goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion per year by 2020 in the context of meaningful mitigation action and transparency on implementation, in accordance with decision 1/CP.16;

23. Notes the high-level summary report of the first part of the 2021 Forum of the Standing Committee on Finance on finance for nature-based solutions carried out in a hybrid format on 15 and 16 October 2021 and requests the Standing Committee on Finance to organize the second part of the Forum in 2022, subject to health and safety considerations arising from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic;

24. Notes that the Standing Committee on Finance was not able to produce draft guidance to the operating entities of the Financial Mechanism and that it has not agreed on recommendations from the fourth (2020) Biennial Assessment and Overview of Climate Finance Flows, and in this regard requests the Committee to improve its working modalities;

25. Notes with appreciation the efforts of the Standing Committee on Finance in enhancing engagement with stakeholders in the context of its workplan;

26. Encourages the Standing Committee on Finance to continue to enhance its efforts towards ensuring gender-responsiveness in implementing its workplan;

27. Requests the Standing Committee on Finance to report to the Conference of the Parties at its twenty-seventh session on its progress in implementing its 2022 workplan;

28. Also requests the Standing Committee on Finance to consider the guidance provided to it in other relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties.

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