COP28’s gender agenda: Spotlighting gender-responsive strategies for accelerated climate action 

By Climate Champions | November 27, 2023

The upcoming events at COP28 are set against a backdrop of mounting evidence highlighting the intricate relationship between climate change and gender. Climate change exacerbates existing gender inequalities, disproportionately impacting the livelihoods, health, and safety of women and girls. However, women also play a crucial role as frontline responders to climate stresses and leaders in climate solutions. The events at COP28 are designed to explore these dual aspects of gender in the context of climate change: the challenges women face and their critical role in driving climate ambition.

Statistics underscore the significance of gender in climate action. For instance, companies with more female board directors are 21 percent more likely to have set emission reduction targets, according to the World Economic Forum. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank suggest that investing in gender equality could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 15 percent by 2050. Moreover, increasing women’s representation in national parliaments leads to more stringent climate change policies and lower emissions. Surveys by the Pew Research Centre indicate that a higher percentage of women perceive climate change as a serious threat and are more active in reducing their climate footprint compared to men.

The events at COP28 aim to amplify women-led climate solutions, showcasing women and girls as pivotal climate leaders. The agenda calls for increased finance flows to women in regions most impacted by climate change. The goal is not only to empower women but to recognize that gender-responsive climate initiatives are a smart, effective strategy for tackling climate issues.

The discussions will also emphasize the need for a gender-just transition in climate action. This approach prioritizes the experiences and leadership of women, ensuring that international efforts towards a just transition are inclusive and sensitive to the specific needs of women. An essential component of this is the availability of high-quality, gender-disaggregated data, crucial for informed decision-making in finance and resource allocation.

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28-29 November, Counting on a Sustainable Future: Global Conference on Gender and Environment Data (Open event)

As part of existing global efforts to expand the understanding of the gender-environment nexus, the Offices of COP28 and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, UNFCCC, UN Women, IUCN, and WEDO will convene a global conference on gender and environment data. Speakers and participants will include UN Agencies, government officials and policy makers, leaders and commitment makers of the Feminist Action for Climate Justice Action Coalition and the Gender Environment Data Alliance (GEDA), private foundations, civil society organizations, indigenous leaders and local communities and academia.

Link to register

3 December, ILO and UNFCCC Gender Action Plan learning event (Open event)

10.00 – 16.00

Blue Zone – TBC

3rd December, Gender & Climate Security (Open event)

Exploring the Links between Climate Change, Gender Inequality, Conflict, and Forced Displacement. Organized by GIWPS – Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and ECSSR

15.00 – 16.30

Green Zone – Connect Conference Multipurpose Hall

4 December, Gender-Just Transition Partnership & Climate Finance Ministerial  (Open event)

Announcing the Gender-Just Transition Partnership & highlight the role of finance to advancing gender equality through a just transition

16.00 – 17.30

Blue Zone – World Climate Action Summit Arena

4 December, Arab Women Leaders’ Summit with WISER (Closed event)

A multi-layered event bringing in experts across the MENA regions to explore Arab women’s contributions to climate action and role in a just and inclusive transition, with high level segments.

15:30 – 18:00

Green Zone – Connect Conference Multipurpose Hall

4 December, From a financing gap to outcomes oriented finance (Open event)

Organized by UNFCCC and the Argentinian Government

08:30 – 10:00

Blue Zone – GCA

4 December, Technical Dialogue: Financing for a gender just transition (Open event)

UNFCCC (Mandated event)

The in-session dialogue will focus on advancing a gender just transition in the context of climate change. The unequal impact of climate change on marginalized groups and the importance of gender-responsive climate finance is widely acknowledged. The dialogue aims to disseminate insights from recent discussions on gender-responsive climate finance and the implementation of a gender just transition. It seeks to promote a coherent understanding of opportunities and gaps in this area, highlighting successful cases of development and implementation of action for a gender just transition and how they accessed financial support. The expected outcome is a shared understanding of opportunities and gaps in gender-responsive climate finance and gender just transition and the promotion of knowledge exchange to support gender-just climate action.

10.00 – 11.00

Blue Zone

4 December, Rising up to advance gender safety in climate action (Open event)

 Advancing the safety of women and girls in climate leadership

14.30 – 16.00

Blue Zone – IUCN Pavilion

4 December, Walking the Talk: Gender Equality in the Paris Agreement (Open event)

Organized by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

11.30 – 13.00

Blue Zone – GCA Action Arena – Al Hur

4 December, Voices and Ventures: Women Driving Climate Solutions  (Open event)

Organized by International Finance Corporation

10.00 – 11.00

Green Zone – Impact Hub – MP Meeting Room

8 December, Championing Grassroots Gender Just Climate Finance – Learning Session (Closed event)

Organized by Global Greengrants Fund, Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action, Gender Just Climate Solutions Scale Fund, COP28 Presidency, HLC, UNFCCC Secretariat Gender

15.00 – 18.00

Blue Zone – UNFCCC Impact & Empowerment Lab

9 December, Gender Stocktake (Open event)

Event to focus on how gender-disaggregated data can support better decision making and ensure gender is reflected in the GST response

11.30 – 13.00

Blue Zone – Presidency Roundtable

9 December, Gender Just Climate Transitions (Open event)

Global perspectives on the implications for land rights and the care economy

Organized by FACJ

15.00 – 16.30

Green Zone – Connect Conference Multipurpose Hall