When solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises ignore gender, they harm society and the planet

Abstract

Global warming and biodiversity loss continue to increase, and the environment is being degraded faster than at any time in history. At the same time, it will take generations, if ever, to reach gender parity. These issues are all connected. Women and girls, particularly in low-income countries, are disproportionately harmed, yet remain underrepresented or entirely absent from the spaces that shape the global climate and biodiversity agenda. We argue that this is a failure of leadership and science and delivers serious injustice and harm to women and the environment. In this paper we explore the case of gender inequity within market-based responses to these crises, including carbon-offsetting and biodiversity conservation. We present evidence that reveals how market-based solutions primarily benefit men, especially rich and powerful men in high income countries, whilst ignoring and minimising rights, interests, and lives of women, primarily those in low-income countries. We highlight that to have any chance of being equitable, market-based climate and biodiversity solutions must also consider gender at their core. It must be intentional. We make recommendations to address gender-based injustice through both reform and radical change.