Rachel Pepple’s Post

🌱✨ Women's leadership in climate change is not just a matter of representation; it's a strategic necessity. ✨🌱#iwd2024 Data and experience show that female leaders often bring distinct qualities to the table—qualities that are crucial in the fight against #climatechange. They exhibit a profound care for nature, a strong desire to take actionable steps, and the ability to make significant changes happen. Moreover, women tend to approach environmental policies with a sense of altruism, perceive risks with caution, and prioritize long-term rewards over short-term gains. From the commitment of leaders like Jacinda Ardern, Christiana Figueres, Jennifer Morgan who declared climate change an emergency and took decisive actions, to the proven impact of female-directed companies performing better in environmental sustainability, the evidence is clear. Women are not just participants in the climate conversation; they are essential drivers of change. As we continue to face the ever-growing challenge of climate change, let us celebrate and champion the inclusion of more women in decision-making roles at climate summits and beyond. Let's embrace the diversity of thought, experience, and leadership style they bring to the table. Together, we can forge a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive future for our planet. Each of us has a role to play in promoting gender-balanced leadership and decision-making, not only for the sake of equity but also for the effectiveness and resilience of our global response to climate change. Let's commit to advocating for more inclusive representation at all levels of decision-making, for today and for future generations. 🌍💪 https://lnkd.in/eNdJ8BVV

The decisions we make now inevitably shape the prospects for generations to come. So tackling a long-term problem like #climatechange raises an intergenerational moral dilemma: should we invest in solutions that might not personally benefit ourselves but will help future generations reach #netzero – or should money be spent to ensure everyone right now has the best possible quality of life? Some of these choices people make may depend on gender. Women are more likely than men to be more concerned for the wellbeing of future generations and more likely to bear the costs of costly #climatemitigation policies. New researchinto this intergenerational altruism examines the attitudes and behaviours of 1,600 #Swedish citizens, and has found a significant difference between women and men. Women tend to make more #climatefriendly choices than men, according to previous research. A study based on Gallup polls involving more than 6,000 US citizens found that women are more worried than men about health-related environmental problems. However, previous research had little to say about whether women deal with environmental intergenerational dilemmas differently than men. Curious about whether women are more likely to favour costly environmental actions that benefit future generations, our team, including the researchers Gustav Agneman and Sofia Henriks, asked participants to state how many children they have or would like to have. Then they were told how many descendants they could have in 250 years and asked to distribute imaginary resources across generations. Participants were encouraged to reflect on the fact that if we use up all resources today, there will be none left for future generations. Finally, they were asked whether they’d support climate policies that would increase the costs of aviation, food, fuel and clothes. A control group of participants were simply asked about their attitudes toward these costly climate policies without being told their estimated number of descendants or how they might distribute resources. Support for climate policies was compared across these two groups. Results show clear gender differences. Women were more supportive of costly climate mitigation policies when they had been informed about their projected number of descendants and had distributed resources across generations. Men were not more likely to support costly climate mitigation policy when asked to contemplate future generations. Women expressed more worries about the impact of climate change, indicating that when women reflect on their future generations, they become more concerned about climate change and its impact on the planet, and more willing to invest in #climatesolutions now. 

Women as Agents of Change Despite their vulnerability, #women are not passive victims of #climatechange ; they are also powerful agents of change and resilience. Women around the world are leading efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, as well as to address the loss and damage caused by its impacts. Women's traditional knowledge, adaptive skills, and community networks make them well-suited to develop and implement innovative solutions to climate-related challenges. Women are at the forefront of sustainable farming practices, disaster risk reduction initiatives, and climate adaptation strategies that help build resilience and reduce #vulnerability in their communities. International #Women's day provides a platform to honor and celebrate the leadership and contributions of women in addressing climate change-induced #lossanddamage . It is a day to recognize the resilience, creativity, and determination of women who are working tirelessly to protect the environment and build sustainable communities. By highlighting women's role in climate action, International Women's Day can inspire others to support and empower women in their efforts to address climate change and its impacts.

At The Aspen Institute, we recognize how the climate crisis disproportionately impacts women and girls around the world, exacerbating inequalities and injustices. This Women’s History Month and in every month of the year, we seek to empower and uplift the voices and women and girls working in climate. The following book, podcast, and discussion recommendations center the intersection between women and the climate crisis, addressing geography and gender, energy justice, ecofeminist, anti-racism, and more! In Women and Climate Change: Examining Discourses from the Global North, Nicole Detraz asks where women in the global North figure in the picture, what that means, and why it matters. Interviewing women living in the global North who work in the climate change sphere, Detraz examines the crucial links between notions of climate change and gender—in particular, how women are portrayed in climate change debates. Her book offers the suggestion, and the hope, that identifying connections between ideas of gender and climate change might also alter our vision of a livable future. In Love Your Mother: 50 States, 50 Stories, and 50 Women United for Climate Justice, Mallory McDuff lifts up the stories of women working toward a viable future. As a mother and a professor of environmental education, McDuff wanted to give her two daughters and her students a road map to engage in climate justice in their communities, rather than be left feeling paralyzed by the enormity of the problem. In Diversifying Power, energy expert Jennie Stephens argues that the key to effectively addressing the climate crisis is diversifying leadership so that anti-racist, feminist priorities are central. By highlighting the creative individuals and organizations making change happen, Diversifying Power provides inspiration and encourages transformative action on climate and energy justice. In Mother of Invention, former Irish president Mary Robinson, comedian and writer Maeve Higgins, and series producer Thimali Kodikara dig into the biggest climate issues of our time with love, laughter and memorable storytelling. The podcast series gives focus to the stories of black, brown and indigenous women and girls who have been innovating from the front lines of climate change for generations — all over the world! At Aspen Ideas Climate, Aspen Future Leader Alumni Wawa Gatheru spoke on the session “Women and Girls are a Critical Climate Solution”, where she joined other panelists to discuss the burden on women and girls from the climate crisis—particularly in securing resources like food and water—and how their innovation and ingenuity can be major contributors to climate solutions. #FutureLeaderClimateFellows #FutureLeadersClimateSummit #WomensHistoryMonth #AspenIdeasClimate #ecofeminism #womenandclimate #climatejustice #energyjustice #womeninclimate

#ClimateChange and the #GenderGap. What do they have in common? #Bocconi Professor Paola Profeta gives us seven reasons more female leaders would be a positive step for the climate in her article in #TheConversation. 1) Data shows that as citizens, women tend to care about nature and the environment more than men and they tend to be more responsible for actions that may impact climate change. The share of women who agreed that it is important to care about nature and the environment is higher than the share of men in all European countries. That means that if leaders care about the planet, climate policies will reflect that. 2) Female policymakers agree more than men on the need of measures for the environment, according to data from the Comparative Candidate Survey. 83% of women believe that stronger measures should be taken to protect the environment, compared to 75% of men. 3) Firms with more women in decision-making positions tend to perform better on environmental and sustainable outcomes. 4) Experimental research in 2001 confirmed that women tend to be more altruistic and socially oriented than men. 5) Gender roles and different opportunities may also play a role in gender differences in attitudes towards the environment. Women engage more in private pro-environment behaviors. 6) Women tend to be more risk averse than men, as they tend to prefer an outcome that is certain over an uncertain one associated with higher return. 7) When approaching climate change, women tend to offer fresh perspectives, creative problem-solving skills and inclusive leadership styles. In addition, they tend to be more patient and willing to wait for higher rewards in the future and they care about the consequences of their actions over a longer timeframe. Gender balance when discussing climate change is not only a matter of justice and representation, but it also represents a strategic choice. Addressing the complex global challenge of climate change requires diverse perspectives and experiences. Including more women at the table at future climate summits is an essential step towards making real change. Each of us can make a difference, as citizens, voters, business entrepreneurs and decision-makers to promote better representation and more balanced decisions, for now and for future generations.

The Climate Zeitgeist: Leading Women and Initiatives During Crisis Published on She Breaks Barriers #Climate #Climatechange #Climatecrisis #Women #Womenempowerment #Communities https://lnkd.in/d3tNCmxV

This week sees the celebration of World Environment Day, on June 5th, and World Ocean Day, on June 8th, both valuable reminders of the need to mitigate the impact of climate change and ensure a healthy planet for future generations. Research shows that women are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, being 14-times more likely than men to die in a climate change-related disaster. Yet, women are underrepresented in national and global climate negotiating bodies, making up only 34% of delegates at the recent COP28, the annual UN-organised conference on climate change. Women are also underrepresented in environmental and conservation sciences, accounting for only 33% of the authors on recent reports for the International Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leading scientific body on climate change. If we are to find meaningful solutions to protect our environment and oceans, then it is crucial that the unique experiences and perspectives of women are heard. Indeed, several studies have already shown that climate-related community projects initiated by women are more effective and have better outcomes than projects implemented without a woman’s contribution. For example, Wangari Maathai, who pioneered reforestation and women’s rights in Kenya, made the link between deforestation and the livelihoods of local communities. She chose to educate and empower women as an effective solution for reforestation. Jane Goodall, who has worked tirelessly throughout her career to protect chimpanzees, has also focused on motivating and educating local communities to restore forest habitat. The success of their visions has been achieved by collaborating on a grassroots level, demonstrating that women are more than capable of being part of the solution to the problems they are facing. At Mothers in Science, we want to inspire the next generation to protect the environment, by sharing stories of some of the amazing women who are fighting to save our planet and their future. This week, we have republished the #SciMomJourneys shared over past years by incredible mothers in STEMM who are making a difference to our planet and protecting our oceans (check our previous posts). You can also check out our Traiblazers webpage, where we share the biographies of famous mothers in STEMM who have made pioneering contributions to our environment. Visit our website to learn more and spread the word! #WorldOceansDay #WorldEnvironmentDay #WomenInSTEM References https://lnkd.in/esiehNM https://lnkd.in/e-cPVxBW https://lnkd.in/gEjxAWPx https://lnkd.in/ebMVxCRN https://lnkd.in/eYX5FNUb

In anticipation of #InternationalWomensDay, we pay homage to women's leadership in People, Nature, and Climate. Today's champion, Christiana Figueres, played a pivotal role in shaping the historic Paris Agreement on climate change.    Sarah Carter, Research Associate with World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch, explains her choice: “My climate champion is Christina Figueres, who led the negotiations at the 2015 UNFCCC COP, resulting in the historic Paris Agreement on climate change. The Agreement specifically noted the relevance of forests in its successful implementation through reducing emissions. I found her energy and commitment to pushing the Paris Agreement through truly inspiring. Despite opposition from numerous stakeholders, she found a way to get their support - and those negotiation skills and her determination are something I aspire to.    As our climate continues to warm, and 2023 was recognized as being the warmest on record, I believe we need to do all we can to tackle climate change, meet the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement, and to avoid loss of valuable forests around the world."    ⭐ Who are your women champions related to sustainability, nature or climate? Tag them below! ⭐    Read more on WRI’s gender equity work in our research and programs: https://t.ly/Hv1sC    Follow our campaign to learn more on women champions in climate!    #People #Nature #Climate #Sustainability #InternationalWomensDay2024 #IWD2024 #InvestInWomen #ClimateAction  #ClimateAction #ParisAgreement #WomenLeaders

Ever since I had the opportunity to take a course in climate change policy during my Master's program I have found myself going back repeatedly to reference one of the class's required texts, “Drawdown” by Paul Hawken. It's one of the most excellent resources to quickly learn about how we can reduce the among of GHGs in the atmosphere, including human causes and adoption of land and ocean practices that sequester carbon. Today I was pursuing the text looking for the chapter on old growth forests when I remembered that there is a whole section dedicated to Women and Girls. This seems out of place when the rest of the table of contents contains sections such as "Energy," "Food," "Transport," "Land Use," etc. Given that it's women's history month 👩👧, I thought I'd share what some of the chapters in the Women and Girls section discusses about the significant role that women and girls play in addressing climate change, improving societal resilience, and contributing to sustainable development: Gender Equity in Agriculture: Women smallholders face a gender gap in agriculture, particularly in low-income countries, which limits their access to resources like land, credit, and technology. Despite these challenges, women are crucial in food production. Enhancing their rights and access to resources could significantly increase agricultural productivity, improve food security, and contribute to climate change mitigation by increasing yields and reducing the need for deforestation. Family Planning: Access to voluntary, high-quality family planning services is a matter of dignity and autonomy for women, and it has profound impacts on health, welfare, and social and economic development. It also plays a role in climate change mitigation by influencing population growth rates, which in turn affects resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Educating Girls: Education for girls leads to numerous societal benefits, including reduced fertility rates (i.e. birth rates in this context), improved maternal and child health, and increased economic growth. It also has a direct impact on climate change mitigation by influencing family size and global population trends. Educated women are more likely to manage their reproductive health and have fewer, healthier children, which contributes to lower population growth rates and reduced pressure on environmental resources. Despite the clear benefits, these areas receive insufficient attention and funding from global development initiatives. The intersection of gender, climate change, and sustainable development highlighted in Drawdown makes it clear that empowering women and girls is not just a matter of equity and rights—it is a cornerstone of effective climate action. As we honor the contributions of women throughout history this month, it's important to acknowledge not just their past achievements but also their potential to shape a sustainable future, something I hope to be a part of.

"Women are pushing the hardest for climate action, securing the most ambitious policies, and not receiving the praise they deserve for doing so." As Women's History Month comes to an end, our Policy Officer Blánaid Sheeran reflects on the disproportionate impact climate change has on women and their disproportionate role in tackling it! Read Blánaid's brilliant blog here 👇 👇 #womenshistorymonth #climatejustice