Introduction: Climate Action with a Gender Lens
As COP30 unfolds, the climate negotiation landscape is increasingly shaped by a clear and urgent truth: climate change is not gender-neutral, and neither can our response be. The CGIAR network, along with other global partners, is closely watching the negotiations around the new UNFCCC Gender Action Plan (GAP) under the enhanced Lima work programme on gender. The GAP is poised to become a central framework for integrating gender considerations into climate policy, finance, and action. This article summarizes the current state of the negotiations, the implications for research and development, and what stakeholders can expect in the coming months.
The GAP Under the Lima Work Programme: What’s at Stake
The Gender Action Plan aims to operationalize gender-responsive climate action across the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes. At COP29, negotiations highlighted the core objectives: ensuring equal participation of women and men in decision-making, closing gender gaps in access to climate finance, and integrating gender-based analysis into climate policy design and implementation. The GAP is intended to guide countries and institutions in assessing vulnerabilities, mobilizing resources, and measuring progress in a way that centers women, girls, and gender-diverse communities.
Key Negotiation Threads at COP30
1) Policy Integration: Negotiators are debating how to embed gender considerations into every stage of climate policy—from national adaptation plans to technology transfer and capacity-building initiatives. The goal is to prevent gender-blind policies that miss disproportionate climate risks faced by women and marginalized groups.
2) Finance and Accountability: A major area of focus is how to allocate climate finance so that it explicitly supports gender-responsive projects. This includes clear reporting and accountability mechanisms to track gender outcomes and ensure transparency in funding use.
3) Data, Metrics, and Results: The GAP emphasizes robust data disaggregation by sex and gender identity. This is critical for evaluating progress, informing policy adjustments, and demonstrating the social and economic co-benefits of gender-inclusive climate action.
4) Implementation and Capacity Building: A practical challenge is translating high-level commitments into on-the-ground action—especially for ministries, NGOs, and local communities in low- and middle-income countries. Capacity-building programs, knowledge sharing, and technical assistance are central to this effort.
CGIAR’s Role: Research, Partnerships, and Impact
CGIAR, with a portfolio spanning agrifood systems, soil health, and sustainable livelihoods, is uniquely positioned to test and scale gender-responsive climate solutions. CGIAR’s work helps answer critical questions, such as how gender norms influence adaptation strategies in farming communities, or how access to extension services affects women’s agricultural productivity and resilience. At COP30, CGIAR partners are focusing on how GAP-aligned research can inform policy, improve data collection, and catalyze financing for gender-responsive climate innovations.
Interdisciplinary collaborations are accelerating, pairing climate scientists with gender experts, finance specialists, and local community leaders. The emphasis is on practical tools—risk assessments that incorporate gender-differentiated vulnerabilities, inclusive citizen science, and co-produced knowledge that respects local contexts while meeting global standards set by the UNFCCC and the Lima work programme.
What Policymakers and Practitioners Should Track Next
As negotiations progress, stakeholders should monitor the following milestones: formal adoption of the GAP language and indicators, the establishment of reporting and verification frameworks, and the allocation of dedicated funding streams for gender-responsive climate projects. Beyond formal adoption, the real value emerges from how agencies implement the GAP in national policy cycles, development programs, and field operations.
Looking Ahead: From Negotiation Rooms to Real-World Change
The convergence of gender equality and climate action is no longer a niche interest but a central design principle for resilient, inclusive development. COP30 is a pivotal moment for codifying commitments into actionable programs. For CGIAR and its partners, this means bringing rigorous gender analysis into climate science, ensuring data transparency, and championing inclusive governance that gives women and gender-diverse communities genuine influence over decisions that affect their lives. If the GAP is thoughtfully operationalized, it could unlock more effective adaptation strategies, stronger community resilience, and more equitable access to climate finance.
