Razan Al Mubarak*
“Climate change affects everyone, but this impact varies between different groups, and leads to an increase in the already existing gap, the repercussions of which extend greatly to the demographic groups of society, which are not fairly represented, which contributes to the exacerbation of social and economic differences.
According to UN Women, women are considered more vulnerable to the effects of climate change compared to men, especially since they constitute 70 percent of the world’s poor, and despite the active role played by women and girls who live on the front lines of confronting disasters and climate crises, and the low chances of them surviving them. 14 times more often than men, women are excluded from climate action discussions, decisions and processes.
As the UN Climate Leader at COP28, I am working with my team to highlight and communicate women’s diverse perspectives in a clear and simple way, based on our belief that global efforts to avoid global warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius must include: Views, proposals, contributions and approaches of women and girls in the multilateral climate process.
Previous experiences have shown that the most successful societies in enhancing resilience strategies and building capacities to adapt to the risks and repercussions of climate change are those that involve women in the planning process, as women are usually the first societal group to respond to natural disasters, and contribute the most to recovery efforts by dealing appropriately. Direct with the needs of families and the community.
Scientific evidence indicates that women can lead climate action more boldly and effectively, as previous participation has led to improved governance, resource management, and preparedness for climate change-related disasters. For example, increased participation of women in national parliaments has resulted in the adoption of stronger climate policies and thus reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The data also indicates that companies with a high representation of women on their boards of directors have a better ability to set goals for reducing emissions by 21%.
For all these reasons and many more, the COP28 Presidency seeks to mobilize efforts to ensure that the conference is an inclusive platform for everyone. I am happy with the growing momentum to raise the level of women’s representation and equal gender opportunities in climate action plans. The gender action plan agreed upon at COP25 requires participation. Women are fully, equally and effectively involved in multilateral climate action. Since 2012, the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been announcing gender data within national delegations, policy makers and decision makers participating in the Conferences of the Parties.
Earlier in June, the COP28 Presidency urged parties to increase diversity and gender representation within national delegations, and this call included all initiatives and events leading up to the conference, in addition to organizing multiple consultations to take the views of youth, women, indigenous peoples and local communities with the aim of strengthening efforts to participate All parties in the negotiations and decision-making process related to climate action and policy development and implementation, noting that two-thirds of the leaders of the COP28 presidency are women, including Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Community Development and Youth Climate Champion, and Hana Al Hashemi, Head of the UAE Negotiating Team at COP28.
As part of the efforts to empower women to contribute and lead climate action, the COP28 Presidency provided support for the “Women’s Delegations Fund” (WDF Night School) program, which is managed by the Women’s Organization for Environment and Development, in addition to participating in organizing the World Conference on Gender and Environment Data, with each of the… UN Women, which will be held from November 28 to 29, 2023, in Dubai, aims to focus on the lack of investment in gender data and its evaluation to benefit from it in aspects related to climate action, and will seek to present a new work approach that contributes to making political commitments and providing financial flows aimed at achieving equality between Gender and methods for implementing climate policies based on gender data. The conference is also organized by the Women’s Organization for Environment and Development, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the United Nations Climate Pioneers.
The COP28 Conference of the Parties, as part of its activities on December 4, which was chosen as a day dedicated to the topics of finance, trade, gender equality, supervision and follow-up, will bring together stakeholders from researchers and activists to policy makers and representatives of civil society, to discuss gender and climate change, and we will also By participating in hosting the “Arab Women Leaders” Summit, in cooperation with the “Women for Sustainability, Environment, and Energy” platform, WiSER, to identify challenges, share best practices, and develop strategies that enhance gender equality in mitigation, adaptation, and climate resilience efforts.
Through our work, we aim to find the best solutions for all parties, and we ensure that they are diverse and based on previous and shared experiences and expertise. We have placed the inclusion of everyone within the climate action system as a pillar of our action plan, because the efforts and opinions of everyone are important to achieving our goal in confronting the greatest challenge that humanity is currently facing.”
* UN climate leader at COP28
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