EXPOSING THE GENDER GAPS IN FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION – AND PROPOSING SOLUTIONS

This report by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network examines the historical lack of gender consideration in climate change mitigation financing and proposes solutions for integrating gender equality to improve project effectiveness. Through case studies in Nepal, Mali, and Colombia, it demonstrates how gender mainstreaming—including the use of disaggregated data and gender-sensitive action plans—can enhance the sustainability and social impact of emission reduction initiatives.

• Climate change mitigation projects have historically prioritized technical and scientific measures, often viewing large-scale energy and industrial efficiency programs as 'gender neutral.' However, these investments can have gender-differentiated impacts, particularly regarding community resettlement and benefit schemes.
• Integrating gender equality into climate mitigation projects is critical for their overall success, sustainability, and efficacy. This applies to both large-scale infrastructure, such as transport and grid-based energy, and small-scale off-grid initiatives.
• The Nepal Biogas Support Program demonstrated that gender mainstreaming can lead to measurable increases in women's leadership and ownership. By 2011, women owned 23 percent of biogas systems, headed 30 percent of financing cooperatives, and managed nine biogas construction companies.
• In Mali, the Household Energy and Universal Rural Access (HEURA) project showed that gender assessments can identify economic gaps, such as women using electricity for income generation less than men. This led to the appointment of a gender focal point within the Malian Agency for Domestic Energy and Rural Electrification (AMADER) and the adoption of a national gender policy.
• The TransMilenio Bus Rapid Transit system in Bogotá, Colombia, reduced CO2 emissions by over 1.6 million tons between 2001 and 2008. While it provided employment for women (24 percent of the workforce), the project highlighted the need for gender-specific safety measures to address sexual harassment and security concerns for women riders.
• The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has historically favored large-scale projects over community-based ones. However, the introduction of the 'Programme of Activities' (PoA) in 2007 allowed for the bundling of small projects, increasing access to financing for household-level initiatives that more readily engage women.
• Effective gender mainstreaming requires the intentional collection of socially disaggregated data throughout the project cycle. A significant current gap is the lack of gender-differentiated data regarding public participation and the economic benefits of mitigation projects.
• The Global Environment Facility (GEF) adopted an explicit Policy on Gender Mainstreaming in May 2011, requiring all Partner Agencies to have policies or action plans that promote gender equality to achieve superior project results.

APA

Karlsson, G. (n.d.). EXPOSING THE GENDER GAPS IN FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION – AND PROPOSING SOLUTIONS. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Gender-Gaps-in-Financing.pdf

Chicago

Karlsson, Gail. EXPOSING THE GENDER GAPS IN FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION – AND PROPOSING SOLUTIONS. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Gender-Gaps-in-Financing.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Karlsson |first1=Gail |title=EXPOSING THE GENDER GAPS IN FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION – AND PROPOSING SOLUTIONS |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Gender-Gaps-in-Financing.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{karlssonndexposing, author = {Karlsson, Gail}, title = {{EXPOSING THE GENDER GAPS IN FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION – AND PROPOSING SOLUTIONS}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Gender-Gaps-in-Financing.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }