Gender Equity Thematic Group & Social

Development Discussion Group

24 November 2015, 12:00 1:00 pm,

Expert Group Meeting on Implementing

gender-responsive climate action for
sustainable development
Linda Adams, Senior Social Development
Specialist, SERD

The views expressed herein are the views of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank
(ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and
accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty
or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

EGM Purposes
Implementation Lima Work Program adopted by UNFCCC (COP20)
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - stand-alone goal to
achieve gender equality reflected in the entire Agenda including Goal 13, on taking urgent action to combat climate
change and its impacts.
Good practices and practical approaches to implementation of
gender related mandates and decision in UNFCCC processes
and mechanisms
Recommendations on how to implement gender-responsive
climate policy and actions: technology development and
transfer and climate finance
EGM outcomes presented at Ad Hoc Working Group on the
Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) October 2015 and
COP-21 side event

UNFCCC Processes Overlook Gender

UNFCCC (signed 1992) only Rio Convention (out of 3
biodiversity, desertification) did not recognize gender quality or
womens socially constructed roles in relation to NR
management
2001 Marrakesh COP agreed on 1st text on gender equality and
womens participation
2010 signal that GE and womens participation necessary for CC
effective action (mainstreaming gender aspects across finance,
adaptation, and capacity building)
2012 Doha Decision 23/CP18 - Call for Submission of Parties to
share views on challenges for gender balance in delegations,
capacity building needs and gender-sensitive climate policy; first
in-session workshop on gender in the UNFCCC; mandate for
Gender and CC as standing item on COP agenda
2014 Lima Work Program on Gender (adopted at COP-20) goes
beyond gender balance to include GM

Normative shift in Climate

Policy Discussion
Bali Action Plan (2007 COP-13) shift from technocratic policy
discussions awareness/advocacy on range of issues,
including GE and CC
Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA) launched (2007
COP-13) collective advocacy to ensure CC decision making,
policies, programs are gender responsive
Women and Gender Constituency (2009)
Women Delegates Fund (2009)
GCF (2010) promote paradigm shift towards low-carbon and
climate resilient development pathways in developing
countries in context of sustainable development

Gender Mainstreaming efforts across

UNFCCC
Global Environment Facility (GEF) started operations gender-blind
Gender Mainstreaming Policy (adopted GEF Council 2011)
Gender Equality Plan and Roadmap for Gender Equality
Gender Coordinator in Administration Unit (2014)
GCF (Green Climate Fund)
First climate fund to start funding operations for adaptation
and mitigation projects in DCs with GM mandate anchored in
organizing charter
Gender Policy and Action Plan (2014)
Gender integrated in key operational policies investment
framework, performance measurement framework, agencies
seeking accreditation as implementers or financial
intermediaries to address GM in GCF-funded programs and
projects

UNFCCC implementation gaps

Text of UNFCCC mandated gender decisions not
sufficiently active
Terminology doesnt sufficiently define aim, scope,
direction and authorization of mandates
Lack of clear targets and ensuring means of
implementation
Imbalance in GM across thematic areas
Limited resource allocation

Gender Issues in GCF Operations &

related processes
Gender balance within the GCF Secretariat
Board decision adoption of GCF Gender Policy
allowed for national contextualization
GCF Performance Measurement Framework
NDA gender competencies and capacities for
stakeholder engagement

Key entry points to strengthen GCF

operational policies/guidelines
Monitoring and accountability framework
Direct Access GCF access modality under Enhanced
Direct Access (EDA) pilot phase $200m for at least 10
pilots
Private Sector Facility with MSME Pilot Approach
GCF project concept notes and funding proposals
templates require more explicit gender references (or
perceived as optional)

Recommendation Areas to Parties to

the UNFCCC GCF
Promoting gender equality and empowerment of
women in climate policy & action
Incorporating gender considerations in technologyrelated processes & mechanisms
Incorporation of gender considerations in climate
finance
Improving gender responsiveness of GCF projects and
programs

Recommendations: gender considerations

in climate policy and action
Adopt the GM strategy
Support development comprehensive approach,
including Secretariat institutional arrangements and
UNFCCC mechanisms, based on coherent guidance on
GM and provide the resources to implement
Request development of technical guide for GM in
UNFCCC processes and mechanisms to support Parties
implementation of the GM Strategy
Encourage preparation of national gender equality and
climate change strategies

Recommendations: gender
considerations in climate finance
Resource womens rights institutions/organization to
promote gender equality and womens empowerment,
including engagement with relevant climate finance actors
and mechanisms
Provide targeted capacity development and empowerment of
women - bring voice, needs, priorities to climate
technologies, finance and policies into relevant climate
finance processes, climate funds, and national decisionmaking processes;
Increase accessibility of climate finance mechanisms for local
womens groups by exploring options break down larger
fund allocations that would allow funding to be channeled to
intermediary womens groups

Recommendations: climate finance

mechanisms operational and
programming processes and procedures
Strengthen institutional accountability and transparency
systems hold both funds and implementing agencies
to account for gender equality impacts of projects
More harmonized frameworks for results reporting and
measuring gender equality impacts and trends in
climate finance
Encourage gender expertise from donor agencies and
recipient countries to be part of the processes linked to
climate funding streams of those agencies

Recommendations: gender
responsiveness of GCF projects and
programs
Build capacity of GCF staff to provide oversight and technical
assistance, including to GCF accredited entities
Gender competency as part of the expertise of members of
specialized GCF expert panels (Accreditation Committee,
Independent Technical Advisory Panel)
Gender expertise a decision criterion to head Funds 3
accountability units (Independent Evaluation Unit, Independent
Integrity Unit, Independent Redress Mechanism)
Support national designated authorities (NDAs) to strengthen
capacity to consider gender issues
Countries requesting readiness support to include activities that
promote gender-related mandates of the Fund

Recommendations: GCF gender

responsiveness of GCF projects
contd
Reference mandatory inclusion of gender indicators for each
project/program in GCF project implementation guidelines
Make consideration of project-specific gender issues a
criterion in selection of 10 pilots under GCF Enhanced Direct
Access Pilot Approach
Mandate provision preferential financial mechanism for use
of climate-relevant technologies by women in communities
and women-owned businesses in developing countries
GCF results management framework go beyond
quantification of gender outcomes (sex disaggregation of
beneficiaries) to addressing qualitative changes in support of
gender equality

Linking ADB Operations to global

dialogue on Gender and Climate Change
ADB leverage Gender Mainstreaming Categorization and
operational experiences in GCF development of
procedures and practices
RETA 7914: institutions-policy-practice
COP-21: EGM recommendations, RETA model and KPs
shared at side events and Womens Day

Forward Challenges
No common understanding/classification what
constitutes gender-responsive climate action
Knowledge gap among key stakeholders of link
between gender equality and climate action those
engaging in climate policy from scientific, technical, and
financial background regarding social dimensions of
climate change issues
To increase transparency and accountability of funds
develop common framework to tag, track, weigh, and
score gender-responsive climate actions

Thank you!
Link: http://www.adb.org/projects/documents/harnessing-climate-change-mitigationinitiatives-benefit -women