Eleven countries have made new commitments to strengthen the resilience of women and girls against climate shocks in the ongoing 26th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.
With the fresh pledges made on Tuesday during the Gender Day, the governments would top up the more than $139 million committed to Action Coalition on Feminist Action for Climate Justice, under Generation Equality, last July in Paris.
At the time, at least 58 organisations and countries around the world pledged an increase in direct access to financing for gender-just climate solutions for the next five years until 2026.
In the renewed drive, Canada promises to allocate 80 per cent of its $4.3 billion climate investments over the next five years, to gender equality outcomes.
Gender inequality
The United Kingdom would also spend $223 million in addressing dual challenges of gender inequality and climate change. Belgium also committed to a Sahel Climate Program focused on the needs of women and girls, with a five-year investment of $58 million.
Other countries that enlisted their concrete actions to mainstreaming gender equality and equity in climate processes were Bolivia, Norway, Sierra Leone, United States, Ecuador and Germany.
Nigeria and Sweden, particularly set out to review their national climate action plans to embed gender equality as a target to be achieved in efforts to reduce global warming.
In 2019, at COP 25,countries agreed to a five-year enhanced Lima work program on gender and its gender action plan, which affirmed deployment of gender-responsive technological solutions to address climate change, and active involvement of women in climate related processes.
Civil society
This plan is yet to meet its intended target, going by the events at the ongoing COP26.
Last week, UN Women and the Scottish government launched a call to action, urging leaders in government and civil society to commit to an increased and sustained support for women and girls’ climate change initiatives.
“We can only achieve our collective goal and responsibility of reducing emissions to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius if women and girls are part of the response,” UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, is quoted in the November 2, statement announcing the move.
