COP28 unveils gender-responsive just transition and climate action partnership
68 countries endorse the initiative at Dubai meeting
Ministers and senior officials attending COP28 in Dubai have engaged in discussions facilitated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to ensure a gender-responsive transition to bolster the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Led by UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, Razan Al Mubarak, the culmination of these high-level dialogues held during COP28’s Gender Equality Day has resulted in the unveiling of the COP28 Gender-Responsive Just Transitions & Climate Action Partnership by the COP28 Presidency.
Sixty-eight countries have endorsed the initiative. The partnership comprises a comprehensive set of commitments, spanning actions related to data, finance, and equal opportunities. A second convening during COP31 is slated to review the progress of the implementation.
ILO warning
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, the International Labour Organization (ILO) emphasises that 1.2 billion jobs, equivalent to 40% of the global labour force, are at risk due to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.
With their high representation in climate-sensitive sectors, women are anticipated to endure most of these challenges.
Recognising the transformative nature of the transition to a low-carbon and sustainable economy, ministers and high-level officials have collectively endorsed commitments to support women’s economic empowerment. These measures aim to safeguard women’s livelihoods during this transition, acknowledging the potential for eliminating and transforming jobs.
In a statement, Razan Al Mubarak underscored the gendered impact of climate change, emphasising that it disproportionately affects women and girls.
She stressed the need to reform the global financial system and ensure equitable finance distribution to regions and populations most in need. Al Mubarak also emphasised the imperative of investing in women’s economic empowerment to avoid leaving anyone behind.
Follow-up action
The newly announced partnership builds upon the goals outlined in the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan.
The COP28 Gender-Responsive Just Transitions & Climate Action Partnership revolves around three pillars: enhancing data quality for decision-making in transition planning, ensuring more effective finance flows to regions most impacted by climate change, and providing education, skills, and capacity building to support individual engagement in transitions.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous stressed the centrality of women’s rights in climate action, calling for their active participation in decision-making processes. She emphasised the importance of inclusive decision-making to amplify the voices of feminists, youth, indigenous communities, and grassroots movements at both local and global levels.
With predictions indicating that climate change could push up to 158 million more women and girls into poverty globally by mid-century, it is crucial to address the existing gender data gap.
This step is deemed essential for understanding the specific impacts of climate change on women and tailoring climate finance to meet their needs, especially in vulnerable regions.
The 68 countries that have endorsed the new COP28 Gender-Responsive Just Transitions & Climate Action Partnership are:
1. Albania
2. Andorra
3. Antigua and Barbuda
4. Armenia
5. Austria
6. Australia
7. Azerbaijan
8. Bangladesh
9. Belgium
10. Burkina Faso
11. Canada
12. Chile
13. China
14. Chad
15. Colombia
16. Comoros
17. Costa Rica
18. Cote d’Ivoire
19. Cyprus
20. Denmark
21. DRC
22. Dominican Republic
23. Finland
24. Fiji
25. France
26. Germany
27. Guatemala
28. Hungary
29. Ireland
30. Israel
31. Jordan
32. Kiribati
33. Kyrgyzstan
34. Latvia
35. Lebanon
36. Lesotho
37. Mali
38. Mexico
39. Micronesia
40. Moldova
41. Monaco
42. Mongolia
43. Morocco
44. Netherlands
45. Nicaragua
46. Nigeria
47. Norway
48. Pakistan
49. Palau
50. Paraguay
51. Peru
52. Poland
53. Portugal
54. Rwanda
55. Serbia
56. Seychelles
57. Sierra Leone
58. Slovenia
59. Sri Lanka
60. Spain
61. Sweden
62. Tuvalu
63. UAE
64. Ukraine
65. United Kingdom
66. United States
67. Uruguay
68. Venezuela
Featured image: Climate change could push 158 million more women and girls into poverty globally by mid-century. Image: Deepak Kumar
Last Updated on 11 months by Arnold Pinto
