ILO, UNDP Warn on Gender Gaps in Climate Transition at COP30 – Mexico Business News

Report on Gender Equality and Just Transition in Latin American and Caribbean Climate Strategies

Executive Summary

A joint study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Development Program (UNDP) indicates that while Latin American and Caribbean countries have incorporated gender considerations into climate strategies, significant gaps remain in ensuring a just transition. The report emphasizes that achieving climate objectives, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), is contingent upon advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Without targeted policies to address structural inequalities, the shift to low-carbon economies risks deepening existing disparities, especially for women and other vulnerable groups.

Analysis of Gender Integration in Climate Policy

Progress and Implementation Gaps in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

• All 29 countries in the region with submitted NDCs have incorporated gender considerations, signaling a commitment to inclusive climate policy.
• However, implementation is inconsistent, particularly in male-dominated sectors critical to the green transition, such as energy, transport, and construction.
• This gap between policy and practice hinders the effective realization of SDG 5 within national climate action frameworks.

Economic Opportunities and Risks in the Green Transition

The transition to cleaner economies presents a significant opportunity to advance SDG 8, but its benefits are not guaranteed to be distributed equitably.

1. Job Creation Potential: The ILO projects that the green transition could create 22.5 million new jobs in the region by 2030.
2. Risk of Exclusion: The majority of these jobs are expected in fields where women are currently underrepresented, threatening to widen the gender gap in employment.
3. Call for a Just Transition: A just transition requires coordinated policies that ensure women have equal access to training, financing, and employment opportunities in emerging green sectors.

Socio-Economic Vulnerabilities and Climate Resilience

Disproportionate Impacts on Vulnerable Populations

The socio-economic consequences of climate change threaten to reverse progress on key Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

• Climate impacts are projected to push between 68 million and 135 million people in the region into poverty by 2030.
• Women, rural populations, Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups, and migrants are among the most exposed to these impacts.
• Gender-responsive planning is therefore critical to build resilient social protection systems and ensure climate adaptation strategies do not reinforce structural inequalities.

Structural Barriers to Women’s Economic Empowerment

Persistent inequalities limit women’s ability to participate in and benefit from the green economy, undermining SDG 5.

1. Income Disparity: Globally, women earn only 52 cents for every dollar earned by men, reflecting persistent gaps in access to decent work.
2. Unpaid Care Work: Women perform three times more unpaid care work than men, a primary driver of time poverty and a major barrier to participation in the formal labor market.
3. Occupational Segregation: Women remain underrepresented in STEM fields and technical roles essential for climate-related industries, often due to stereotypes and limited career exposure.

Global Context and Systemic Challenges

Financial and Geopolitical Constraints

Achieving a just and gender-responsive transition is hampered by global challenges that affect the implementation of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Financing Gap: Developing countries require an estimated US$2.3 to US$2.5 trillion annually by 2030 for climate needs, yet public adaptation finance flows remain critically insufficient.
• Geopolitical Fragmentation: A fragmented geopolitical environment, economic pressures, and shifting priorities among major emitters add complexity to global climate negotiations and commitments.

Recommendations for an Inclusive and Sustainable Transformation

A Roadmap for Integrating Gender Equality into Climate Action

The ILO and UNDP propose a strategic roadmap to align environmental objectives with social equity, ensuring that climate action accelerates progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.

1. Integrate Gender Equality into Policy: Mainstream gender perspectives across all climate, labor, and economic policies to ensure coherence and address the structural drivers of inequality, directly supporting SDG 5.
2. Invest in Green Jobs and the Care Economy: Direct investment toward creating green jobs with decent work standards for women and expand public services to reduce and redistribute the burden of unpaid care, advancing both SDG 8 and SDG 5.
3. Ensure Women’s Participation and Leadership: Guarantee the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in the design, implementation, and monitoring of all just transition strategies and climate policies.

Conclusion

The report concludes that climate ambition must be anchored in social inclusion. A just transition is not an optional add-on but a structural requirement for a sustainable transformation. For climate action to be effective and durable, it must actively dismantle long-standing inequalities and ensure that the shift toward a greener economy advances gender equality and provides decent work for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses several interconnected issues that are relevant to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The core theme of the article is the need to integrate gender considerations into climate strategies. It highlights disparities in job opportunities, the burden of unpaid care work on women, income inequality, and the underrepresentation of women in green sectors and leadership roles.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article focuses on the concept of a “just transition,” the creation of “22.5 million new jobs” in cleaner economies, and the persistent global labor income gap where “women earn only 52 cents for every dollar earned by men.”
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The entire context of the article is climate action, referencing COP30, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the transition to low-carbon economies, and the need for climate resilience strategies.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: The article directly links climate change to poverty, citing projections that “68 million to 135 million people could fall into poverty by 2030 due to climate impacts.”
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The analysis emphasizes that climate impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including “Women, rural populations, Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups, and migrants,” and warns that the transition to a green economy could “reinforce structural inequalities” if not managed inclusively.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article is based on a joint study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Development Program (UNDP), showcasing a partnership to address these issues. It also highlights the financial gap for developing countries, pointing to the need for global financial partnerships to meet climate needs.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s discussion, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work. The article explicitly states that “women perform three times more unpaid care work,” identifying it as a major contributor to income inequality. The ILO and UNDP propose investing in public services to “reduce unpaid care burdens.”
2. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership. The article calls to “promote their [women’s] leadership in emerging green sectors” and notes their low participation in key industries like energy and transport, which are central to the green transition.
3. Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all… and equal pay for work of equal value. This target is directly addressed by the finding that “women earn only 52 cents for every dollar earned by men” and the overarching goal of ensuring a “just transition that provides equal opportunities for women and men.”
4. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article provides a clear example of this by stating that “all 29 countries in the region with submitted NDCs have incorporated gender considerations,” demonstrating the integration of social dimensions into climate planning.
5. Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events. The article supports this target by highlighting the projection that millions could fall into poverty due to climate impacts and arguing for “gender-responsive planning… to strengthen social protection systems.”
6. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all. The analysis points out that climate change disproportionately affects marginalized groups and that climate action must be anchored in “social inclusion” to avoid deepening “long-standing inequalities.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Indicator for Gender Pay Gap (Target 8.5): The statistic that “women earn only 52 cents for every dollar earned by men” is a direct indicator of the gender pay gap (related to SDG Indicator 8.5.1).
• Indicator for Unpaid Care Work (Target 5.4): The finding that “women perform three times more unpaid care work” serves as a key indicator of the unequal distribution of care responsibilities (related to SDG Indicator 5.4.1).
• Indicator for Climate-Induced Poverty (Target 1.5): The projection that “68 million to 135 million people could fall into poverty by 2030” is an indicator of vulnerability to climate impacts.
• Indicator for Women in STEM (Implied for Target 5.5): The data showing that “fewer than one in five women aged 30–40 in several Latin American countries work in STEM roles” is an indicator of women’s underrepresentation in technical fields crucial for the green transition.
• Indicator for Climate Policy Integration (Target 13.2): The fact that “all 29 countries in the region with submitted NDCs have incorporated gender considerations” is a quantifiable indicator of policy integration.
• Indicator for Climate Finance (Implied for Target 17.3): The financial gap is clearly indicated by the figures: “Developing countries require between US$2.3 trillion and US$2.5 trillion annually,” while “public flows for adaptation reached only US$26 billion in 2023.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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