UN Climate Change News, 5 December 2023 -Gender Equality Day at the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference yesterday featured a series of special events and announcements aimed at ensuring gender-responsive climate action focusing on a just transition and finance.

"As we work to limit the increase in global warming to 1.5 degrees and foster a sustainable future for all, just transition has the potential to drive ambitious climate action,” said Ina Parvanova, Director of Communications and Engagement at UN Climate Change, during the opening of an event on the gender-responsive just transition co-organized by the International Labour Organization and the UN Climate Change. “Just transitions can build trust and facilitate transformative development.”

As part of COP28's Gender Equality Day, the COP28 Presidency launched the Gender-Responsive Just Transitions & Climate Action Partnership, which was endorsed by 68 Parties. The Partnership includes a package of commitments on finance, data and equal opportunities. This partnership is aiming to build upon progress made through the enhanced UN Climate Change Lima Work Programme and its Gender Action Plan.

“One thing should be clear: just transition and the promotion of gender equality are intrinsically linked," Parvanova added. "Just transition policies and programmes must take into account the strong gender dimension of environmental challenges and opportunities."

A just and inclusive transition can advance gender equality and support women's economic empowerment by offering them equal employment opportunities in affected and emerging labour markets. However, much remains to be done to improve women's opportunities to participate in and shape the green economy, including by strengthening inclusive decision-making so that the voices of feminists, youth, Indigenous Peoples and others are considered at the global level.

Other Gender Day events at COP28 included a technical dialogue on financing for gender-responsive just transitions and climate action. More information is available here. 

The role of data in driving gender-responsive climate action

On the eve of COP28, the Global Conference on Gender and Environmental Data resulted in an urgent call for action to increase the collection and use of gender and environmental data to push gender-responsive climate and environmental action on a global scale. Over 200 participants, including representatives of Parties, international and local organizations, academia, among many others,  came together for the event organized by UN Climate Change, UN Women, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), Gender + Environment Data Alliance (GEDA) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The call to action urges global, regional, and local leaders and institutions to act in 5 main areas:

• To promote and prioritize the production of gender and environmental data in an ethical and transparent manner;
• To accelerate the use and uptake of gender and environmental data for decision making, programme development, monitoring, research and advocacy;
• To fund and invest in the production and use of gender and environmental data;
• To ensure that national, regional and global data and statistical governance processes are inclusive;
• To build and strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships for gender and environmental data.

The full programme of Women and Gender activities at COP28 is available here .