Equitable Climate Action

Accelerating effective and inclusive climate transitions is impossible without addressing the inequalities that exist between women and men.

IFC’s pioneering Gender x Climate program focuses on advancing investments in climate mitigation and adaptation. IFC recognizes that business transformations at the speed and scale required to meet the goals for the Paris Agreement are not possible without addressing the socioeconomic barriers experienced by women and individuals at the base of the pyramid.  

The Gender x Climate program is focused on business case research, capacity building for investors, and client solutions that advance women in the green economy as leaders, employees, entrepreneurs, and community stakeholders. Research shows that women leaders take more robust corporate actions to confront the climate crisis.

Please find out more in IFC's Gender-Inclusive Climate Investment Factsheet.

What is gender-inclusive climate action?

Gender-inclusive climate action recognizes that the effects of climate change differ for individuals based on their gender identity. It acknowledges and integrates these differences into policy frameworks, corporate strategies, and project design and implementation, while simultaneously seeking to address gender inequalities in the context of climate change. 

Why is gender-inclusive climate action important?

1. Women and other disadvantaged groups are likely to be more negatively impacted by the effects of climate change. For example, climate change can increase gender-based violence (GBV), compounding risks for women and girls’ safety. Climate solutions must address these differentiated vulnerabilities in their design and implementation or risk undoing progress on gender equality.
2. Existing gaps between women and men across leadership, employment, and entrepreneurship will likely widen in the green transition without concerted efforts to address them. This is because the sectors poised for the most growth in net-zero transitions, such as renewable energy, are also sectors where women are least represented as workers and leaders. 
3. Women’s voices, and those of racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTI individuals, persons with disabilities, refugees and displaced persons, indigenous peoples, and other marginalized groups, are essential for securing a just and inclusive low-carbon future. Women’s business leadership has been linked to more robust climate targets and improved outcomes.