november 2023
briefing note
No climate justice without gender justice: the case for feminist international climate finance THE URGENCY OF FEMINIST CLIMATE FINANCE The devastating impacts of climate change on people and the planet are not gender-neutral. Those who have contributed the least to climate change are paying the highest cost. Gender-transformative climate finance is central to a feminist approach to climate justice. The financial contributions of Canada and other rich countries are critically important for low-income countries who have least contributed to the climate emergency. Their financial needs are great and growing.
Low-income countries face disproportionately worsening economic situations, livelihoods are threatened and public services are strained. Additionally, current modalities of climate finance, which is mostly given out in loans, are pushing already heavily indebted countries further into the red. The debt crisis for low-income countries is worsening and has been since before the Covid-19 pandemic.1 Responding to extreme weather events can cost between 5% and 7% of annual GDP, in addition to dealing with pandemic response, migration, conflict and biodiversity loss, which leaves no resources for preventive actions2.
Imam Latif, pictured, uses floodwater for cooking and other chores during the massive flooding in Pakistan. Credit: Ingenious Captures/Oxfam