EU Parliament votes on report on Women and Climate Change

A report on Women and Climate Change was debated and voted on in the European Parliament on Friday 20 April. The report, which had earlier been passed by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, was passed by 418 votes to 87.

The report, which highlights the gender dimensions of climate change, reflects the work of the Foundation in this area, which is guided by the principle of climate justice Highlight Gender Equality and Equity. The motion contained in the report also emphasised the importance of climate justice and states that there “will not be any climate justice without true gender equality”.

It calls on the Commission and the Council “in order to ensure that climate action does not increase gender inequalities but results in co-benefits to the situation of women, to mainstream and integrate gender in every step of climate policies, from conception to financing, implementation and evaluation.”

The motion takes the view that achieving gender equality “is key to human development and is a fundamental objective in the fight against poverty”. It demands that that a gender-based approach be applied in the drawing up of development, human rights and climate change policies and calls for steps to be taken to ensure the UNFCCC acts “in accordance” with human rights frameworks and with national and international agreements on gender equality and equity.

It welcomes the “growing awareness” of the gender aspect of climate change in the high-level climate talks but also stresses the need for “concrete action to include more women in EU climate diplomacy, at all levels of decision making” and calls for measures to ensure more women in the climate change negotiations “such as introducing 40%+ quotas in the delegations”. The motion also urges the EU Commission and Member States to act on the commitment “to strive for female representation of at least 40% in all relevant bodies for climate financing” and also underlines the need for this principle to be applied to technology transfer and adaptation bodies as well.

Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, spoke on behalf of the Commission and Connie Hedegaard, Commissioner for Climate Action, who could not attend the debate. Mr Potocnik said it is important we see the issues of gender balance and the role of women “not only in the context of climate change but is important that we see them in the context of green growth or even broader, in the context of sustainable development.”

He said: “Inclusion and equity are absolute requirements for sustainable development. Just as development cannot be only about economic growth, nor can sustainability only be about protecting the environment, development must be people centred and promote rights, opportunities, choices and dignity. And green growth must also be inclusive growth, generating social progress and contributing to eradicating poverty and achieving greater equality as well as sustaining our natural environment”