Search Climate Insights Directory

This white paper, authored by the Stockholm Environment Institute for the USAID Clean Power Asia programme, assesses the intersection of gender equality and renewable energy in the Lower Mekong countries and other ASEAN member states. It highlights a gap between national gender equality commitments and their application within technical sectors like energy.

This guidance documentSSSSSS Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) document provides a framework for integrating gender perspectives and social equity into model-based policy analysis, specifically focusing on the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) and Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) systems. It addresses the systemic 'gender-blindness' in technical modelling and offers strategies for inclusive project design, data collection, and capacity building to ensure that the differentiated impacts of resource management on men and women are captured in policy planning.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the disproportionate negative impacts of large-scale development projects—such as dams and mines—on women's human rights to water, food, and a healthy environment. It highlights the gap between international legal instruments and their practical implementation, particularly in countries with weak governance, and provides recommendations for governments, companies, and civil society to protect women's land rights and ensure their participation in decision-making.

This 2017 report by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) maps the global landscape of initiatives integrating gender equality, social inclusion, and women's empowerment within the sustainable energy and climate change sectors. Based on data from 174 organizations across 45 countries, the report identifies regional priorities, funding trends, and systemic barriers to achieving universal energy access.

This briefing from the Stockholm Environment Institute argues that sustainable development and the transition to a 'green economy' cannot be achieved without explicitly addressing gender equality and social equity, particularly within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It highlights how systemic gender-based barriers—ranging from legal discrimination to unequal access to finance—limit the potential of women as workers and entrepreneurs, thereby hindering overall economic and environmental sustainability.

This discussion brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the interactions between Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality). Based on a literature review of 27 peer-reviewed articles, the brief identifies how gender inequality contributes to food insecurity and argues that gender equality is a primary determinant of food security. It highlights the need for integrated policy-making and gender-differentiated data to ensure that efforts to end hunger do not leave women and girls behind.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the impacts of large-scale private agricultural investments on local livelihoods, water resources, land tenure, and gender equality. It argues that while such investments can create employment and market opportunities, ill-designed contracts often lead to environmental degradation, water scarcity, and the marginalization of rural communities, particularly women. The document advocates for an integrated approach to planning, utilizing a 'social tenure model' and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure sustainability and inclusivity.

A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law regarding the outcomes of COP22, noting that while momentum for the Paris Agreement remains, progress was slow and current ambitions are insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

This report examines the role of gender in climate compatible development through a case study of the 'People’s Plans into Practice' (PPP) project in Kisumu, Kenya, focusing on how gender-sensitive approaches influence empowerment and adaptation in urban settings.

This policy brief describes a research project by Practical Action Consulting and the Institute of Development Studies, commissioned by CDKN, which examined the integration of gender dimensions into climate compatible development strategies within urban settings in Peru.

This report examines the integration of gender-sensitive approaches into climate compatible development in urban Kisumu, Kenya. It uses the 'People’s Plans into Practice' (PPP) project (2008–2013) as a case study to analyze how gender relations influence vulnerability to climate risks and how participatory planning can empower marginalized groups. The study identifies structural, cultural, and policy barriers to gender equality while providing recommendations for national, county, and local policy-makers to better align gender and climate change interventions.

This policy brief examines the role of gender-sensitive approaches in climate compatible development within urban Kenya, specifically focusing on the 'People's Plans into Practice (PPP)' project in Kisumu from 2008 to 2013. It explores how integrating gender dimensions can improve development outcomes, the barriers to such integration, and provides recommendations for policy-makers at national, county, and city levels.

This policy brief examines the integration of gender perspectives into climate-compatible development in urban areas of Peru, specifically focusing on the Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation Networks (GRIDES) in Cajamarca and Huaraz. It identifies that while women's participation has led to implicit gender considerations in local government plans, a lack of explicit gender understanding and systemic barriers—including political, socioeconomic, and cultural obstacles—limit the ability to address gender inequality and differentiated vulnerabilities effectively.

This policy brief examines the integration of gender-sensitive approaches into climate compatible development in urban Peru, specifically focusing on the Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation Networks (GRIDES) in Cajamarca and Huaraz. It finds that while women's participation in these networks has led to an implicit gender approach in local government plans, there is a significant lack of explicit measures to tackle gender inequality and a limited understanding of differentiated vulnerabilities between men and women in urban settings.

This briefing note examines the gendered impacts of petroleum and kerosene subsidy reform in Nigeria. It argues that without targeted compensation, reform may disproportionately harm women by increasing living costs, increasing reliance on biomass fuels (which impacts respiratory health), and reducing economic opportunities. The authors recommend a 'precautionary principle' to design compensation policies that specifically benefit women and suggest using subsidy savings to improve clean energy access.

This executive summary highlights the historical failure of climate change mitigation projects to integrate gender equality, arguing that treating women as victims rather than leaders reinforces inequalities. Based on case studies in Nepal, Mali, and Colombia, the report asserts that gender mainstreaming, socially disaggregated data, and gender-sensitive policies are essential for the efficacy, inclusivity, and long-term viability of both large-scale infrastructure and small-scale energy projects.

This 2015 report by Sustainable Energy for All, commissioned by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), analyzes the intersection of energy access and gender inequality across the 15 ECOWAS Member States. It identifies systemic barriers that prevent women from participating equally in the energy sector and highlights how energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls due to socially determined gender roles. The document serves as the foundational analysis for the development of the ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access, aiming for universal energy access by 2030.

This research paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) argues for the integration of equity and social inclusion into disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks. It examines how marginalized groups—including women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities—face disproportionate vulnerabilities and are frequently excluded from decision-making processes. The authors advocate for a shift from viewing these groups as passive victims to recognizing them as active agents of change whose local knowledge and capacities are essential for building equitable resilience.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the human rights implications of the 'Doha Gateway' decisions from the UNFCCC 18th Conference of the Parties. It argues that while the decisions do not explicitly reference human rights, the outcomes regarding mitigation ambition, loss and damage, REDD+, the Clean Development Mechanism, public participation, and gender have significant impacts on vulnerable populations.

This document consists of four case study profiles detailing locally-led climate adaptation practices in Ghana. It covers organic shea processing in the West Gonja District, climate-smart agriculture in the Savannah and northern regions, flood response in the peri-urban area of Aboabo, and coastal erosion management in Keta town. Across these regions, common themes include the use of community-based organizations, the alignment of local actions with Ghana's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and persistent challenges regarding financial resources and institutional support.