COP30's Gender Action Plan: What Shocking Changes Could Affect Millions Overnight?

At the recent COP30 climate summit in Brazil, amidst discussions of fossil fuel dependency, the adoption of the Gender Action Plan (GAP) has emerged as a significant but largely overlooked milestone. This plan, several years in the making, aims to bolster support for national gender and climate change focal points and promote the leadership of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural women. Additionally, it emphasizes gender-responsive budgeting and finance.

Historically, women have been underrepresented in both the formulation of climate action plans and their outcomes, which include training, financing, and adaptation mechanisms. The official draft of the GAP, ratified at the COP30 summit, explicitly recognizes the “persistent lack of progress in and the urgent need for improving the representation of women in Party delegations and constituted bodies.” The agreement outlines 27 actions that signatory countries to the Paris Agreement are encouraged to undertake.

The GAP not only highlights issues of gender inequality but also mandates the development of guidelines to protect women environmental defenders, who are particularly vulnerable as they advocate for climate justice. The plan also addresses related issues such as care work, health, and violence against women, all critical components in the broader context of climate change.

On a structural level, the GAP aims to create coherence across multiple international frameworks, including the Rio Conventions and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). While the plan does not establish mandatory, verifiable indicators, it incorporates a system of voluntary national reporting through existing mechanisms, such as Biennial Transparency Reports.

However, some advocates express concern over the absence of mandatory indicators, viewing it as a lack of commitment to meaningful change. The Women and Gender Constituency, which has been instrumental in developing the GAP, asserts that incremental progress is insufficient for frontline communities. They argue that the world requires transformative action rooted in justice.

Funding for the GAP will partially derive from the Green Climate Fund, a UN initiative designed to assist developing nations in meeting their climate objectives as laid out in the Paris Agreement. Nevertheless, the Women and Gender Constituency warns that ongoing uncertainties regarding access to these funds, along with chronic underfunding across the Convention, could jeopardize the GAP’s successful implementation.

Throughout the COP30 summit, women’s groups actively sought to integrate a gender perspective into all decisions. Remarkably, 93% of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—the national climate strategies required by the Paris Agreement—submissions considered gender equality and social inclusion, a significant increase from 40% in 2016. Furthermore, over 80% of developing countries involved in the Climate Promise 2025 initiative are executing activities that explicitly promote gender equality.

Advocates for gender equality emphasize that a genuine transition away from fossil fuels is critical and must include clear targets for reducing fossil fuel production by 2030. “No country has yet put those numbers on the table,” stated Shruti Sharma, Lead for Affordable Energy at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). She added, “Without explicit production phase-out targets, we are still sketching around the problem instead of dismantling it.”

In the words of Mwanahamisi Singano, Director of Policy at the Women’s Environment & Development Organization, “True power is not in the decisions alone, but in how those decisions illuminate our struggle and our strength.”

The adoption of the Gender Action Plan represents a crucial step toward integrating gender considerations into climate action, yet significant barriers remain. The alliance between gender equality and climate justice will be essential as nations strive to meet their commitments while addressing the unique challenges faced by women and marginalized communities in this ever-evolving climate landscape.