# Advancing Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Equity Simultaneously: The Transformative Potential of Investments in Gender Equality

## TL;DR

Investing in gender equality can help fight climate change while promoting fairness and human rights.

## Contribution

The paper highlights how gender equality investments can simultaneously advance climate mitigation, adaptation, and equity.

## Key findings

- Gender equality investments can increase climate resilience and sustainable practices.
- People-centered solutions have measurable climate impacts.
- Existing mechanisms like carbon markets can support gender equality and climate goals.

## Abstract

Climate change negotiations often stall because of debates about equity. The SDGs affirm all countries’ responsibilities to act on climate and high-income countries’ initial $100 billion annual financing commitment; the SDGs also affirm fundamental human rights that are foundational to both equality and a strong economy. Nevertheless, climate investments historically have neglected people-centered climate solutions that would powerfully advance these interconnected goals.

Realizing girls’ equal rights in education, women’s equal rights at work, and freedom from gender-based violence would fulfill fundamental human rights while markedly accelerating climate mitigation and adaptation. Mechanisms include increased reproductive autonomy, higher adoption of sustainable fuels and regenerative agriculture, increased resilience to climate disasters, and greater gender parity in leadership.

A variety of options are available for countries to invest in gender equality simultaneously with nature- and energy-based solutions. These include carbon markets, debt-for-equity swaps, and existing UNFCCC financing mechanisms. The climate impacts of people-centered solutions are estimable.

Successfully addressing climate will require investments in gender equality. Bilateral and multilateral bodies can build on existing data to achieve this through a variety of climate mechanisms.