All-male COP29 committee a big step backwards for climate

The Stockholm Environment Institute criticizes the initial all-male composition of the COP29 organizing committee in Azerbaijan, arguing that gender diversity is essential for effective climate governance and sustainable solutions. While noting a subsequent update where the Azerbaijani government added women to the committee, the text highlights a broader trend of declining female representation among national Party delegates since COP24 and emphasizes that inclusive leadership leads to better environmental disclosure and innovation.

• The initial appointment of an all-male committee for COP29, consisting of members linked to the oil and gas industry, is viewed as a setback for climate action and an example of a persistent gender gap in climate leadership.
• Gender diversity in leadership is linked to more effective climate outcomes; specifically, private sector boards with 30% or more women demonstrate superior climate governance, innovation, and environmental disclosure.
• Female representation among national Party delegates at COP summits has declined over recent years, dropping from 38% at COP24 to 35% at COP27.
• Although the Azerbaijani government added 12 women and two men to the committee shortly after the initial announcement, the document maintains that mere presence does not always guarantee a balanced representation of interests.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2024). All-male COP29 committee a big step backwards for climate. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/all-male-cop29-committee-big-step-backwards-for-climate/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. All-male COP29 committee a big step backwards for climate. 2024. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/all-male-cop29-committee-big-step-backwards-for-climate/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=All-male COP29 committee a big step backwards for climate |date=22 January 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/perspectives/all-male-cop29-committee-big-step-backwards-for-climate/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2024allmale, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{All-male COP29 committee a big step backwards for climate}}, publisher = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/perspectives/all-male-cop29-committee-big-step-backwards-for-climate/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }