What about the Global North in Gender-Responsive Climate Policy? An Analysis of Canada’s and Sweden’s UNFCCC Communications

Abstract

Purpose: This study contributes to our understanding of state practices of integrating a gender perspective into climate policy. Specifically, the gender mainstreaming practices of Canada and Sweden in their National Communications (NCs) to the UNFCCC were examined.
 Originality: In recent years, the UNFCCC has begun to emphasize the need for gender-responsive climate policy, especially through frameworks such as the Lima Work Programme on Gender and its corresponding Gender Action Plan.
 However, few studies have examined how countries apply such frameworks into their national climate policies. The small amount of work that has been done has focused almost exclusively on the Global South. However, this study demonstrates, through a case study of two countries considered global ‘gender champions,’ that developed countries are also demonstrating uneven and limited gender mainstreaming practices in their climate policies.
 Methodology: Canada’s and Sweden’s latest three rounds of NCs were analyzed for their content through a three-step methodology. First, a keyword search served as a baseline analysis of engagement with gender issues. Then, the documents were coded using a typology of 15 thematic codes derived primarily from the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan. Finally, additional in-depth qualitative analyses were conducted for context and implications.
 Result: The analysis reveals that while Canada and Sweden are relatively active in referencing women and gender issues in their NCs, the overall scope and depth of this engagement remains shallow.
 Conclusions and Implication: Despite an underlying assumption in the global climate regime that developed countries are leading the way for gender-responsive climate policy, the results of this case study seem to indicate otherwise. Further studies are required to systematically map state practices transcending Global North and South divisions, to better understand the root causes of the problems identified in this case study.