Placing a gender-just energy transition at the centre of sustainable development discussions
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Bangkok, Thailand — UN Women and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) placed gender-just energy transition at the centre of discussions at the 12th edition of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD).
Organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), this annual, inclusive intergovernmental forum reviews progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level. This year’s APFSD took place from 25–28 February in Bangkok, Thailand.
As part of their engagement in the Forum, UN Women and UNEP, under the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies Programme, co-organized side events to ensure that gender equality and social inclusion were included in climate discussions.
On 22 February, as part of the APFSD preparations, a People’s Forum brought together civil society organizations to discuss the challenges and opportunities of advancing a gender-just energy transition in the region.
Jesmin Nahar, Deputy Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, emphasized the need for stronger integration of gender in transition policies, adding: “Governments should increase women’s participation in green jobs and support women’s role in climate adaptation and resilience.”
Key points of the discussion included the difficulty of collecting gender-disaggregated data due to the informal nature of women-owned businesses, as discussed by Allan Sicat from the Microfinance Council of the Philippines. APRCEM also stressed the importance of incorporating gender-sensitive approaches in climate programmes, while Robeliza Halip, interim Executive Director of the Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples, highlighted the crucial leadership of Indigenous Peoples in renewable energy initiatives.
The session concluded with a commitment to create a regional brief on just transition policies that prioritize the needs of affected and marginalized communities, particularly women and Indigenous Peoples.
On 27 February, the side event “Powering the Future: Advancing Gender and Social Inclusion in Climate and Energy Policies” was co-organized with APRCEM and the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE). The hybrid session focused on strategies for integrating gender and social inclusion in climate change and renewable energy policies in South and Southeast Asia.
Throughout the session, participants discussed the gaps in current policies, the specific needs of marginalized groups, and how stronger partnerships can advance gender and social inclusion goals.
Dechen Tsering, Regional Director of UNEP Asia and the Pacific, noted: “National climate mitigation and adaptation plans are increasingly recognizing the importance of women’s leadership, yet the real challenge remains in translating these policies into tangible actions.”
The event culminated in a call for stronger multistakeholder partnerships, adequate funding and inclusive, science-based policies to achieve the SDGs. Participants committed to ensuring that gender equality and social inclusion remain central to future climate and energy actions.
On 27 February, the side event “Pathways for Indigenous-Led Energy: Voices of Indigenous Women and Youth in Asia” explored the urgent need to support Indigenous-led energy initiatives in the face of imposed renewable energy projects that often disregard the rights and needs of these communities.
Among the speakers from Indigenous Peoples-led organizations were Surti Handayani from Perhimpunan Pembela Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (PPMAN), who discussed the challenges and community impacts of geothermal and mining projects in Indonesia, and Joe Baxter from Tonibung, who shared examples on how Indigenous Peoples in Malaysia developed sustainable power system using their traditional knowledge.
Pema Wangmo Lama, from WE-Women from Indigenous Nationalities in Nepal, shared the challenges in Indigenous Peoples’ engagement in climate-related policy processes. “It is important to include Indigenous Peoples in a meaningful way, where they have the capacity to understand the technical aspects of the policies. Without that, our representation remains tokenistic,” she emphasized.
The outcomes from these sessions will directly inform APFSD deliberations, ensuring that the voices of civil society are central in shaping policies that address the climate and energy challenges of the future.