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th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 Forum: Environment Commission Issue: Implementing the Paris Agreement through gender-responsive actions Student Officer: Gifty Tawiah, Zoe Martin-Parkinson, Fatima Abdeen Position: President and Co-chairs Introduction The issue of climate change is a problem that is causing widespread environmental and economic damage and in order to ensure our sustainability and survival while facing this threat, it is crucial for women to be integrated into responses combating climate change. On April 22, 2016 the Paris Agreement; an international treaty aiming to strengthen the global response to climate change by pursuing to limit the increase of temperature below 1.5 degrees celsius, was signed by 175 parties and is being put into effect on November 4th, 2016. Unfortunately, there are still gender inequalities which limit women’s access to education, land, financial aid, and other rights and opportunities which prevents them from contributing to the global effort against climate change. The unequal participation of women in labor markets and politics damage economic growth and stability as well as decision making on how best to handle this problem. Although we are all affected by climate change, it affects women and men differently due to the gender gap which prevents women from accessing resources or opportunities that can help them find solutions, which is why it is important to integrate women into climate change policies and discussions - to get different points of view on a serious issue that still lacks a strong solution. Addressing these inequalities and problems will make the goals of the Paris Agreement along with economic sustainability, and reducing Co2 emissions much more achievable since we will be able to take action together, with men and women. Definition of Key Terms Paris Agreement Research Report | Page 1 of 9 th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 The Paris Agreement which was signed on April 22, 2016, aims to enhance the purpose and implementation of the UNFCCC by increasing adaptation to climate change, keeping global temperature levels from rising, and paving a path for consistent finances towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate change resilience development. It was put into action on November 4th, 2016. Gender Gap The gender gap refers to the differences between men and women consisting of opportunities, rights, status etc. Many women are unable to help the fight against climate change due to lack of opportunities, education or resources, things that are part of the gender gap. Closing the gender gap is a crucial and big step towards gender equality and helping combat climate change by allowing women to join the global effort. Climate Change Climate change is the change of climate patterns on a regional or global scale, and an issue which became apparent in the mid late 20th century. It is considered to have been largely affected by the increase in greenhouse emissions and is currently posing a threat to the sustainability of ecosystems, biodiversity and Less Economically Developed Countries. Global Warming Global warming is the increase of the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere due to the high emissions of greenhouse gases which are produced from burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which then proceed to trap and absorb heat into the atmosphere which would otherwise escape from Earth’s atmosphere and into space. Global warming is seen as a major factor for climate change and as the cause for effects such as loss of sea ice, longer heat waves, and rising sea levels. Greenhouse gases refer to carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases, nearly all of which are produced by us and other organisms on a daily basis. Some of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions are the burning of fossil fuels( ex. Coal, petroleum, natural gases), combustion of wood and carbohydrates, transportation and the use of electricity. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an international treaty which was negotiated in Rio De Janeiro and signed on June 4th 1992. The convention aimed to set outlines for protocols and treaties to limit the emissions of greenhouse gases and led to the drafting and signing of Research Report | Page 2 of 9 th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol, both of which aimed to decrease carbon dioxide emissions and prevent the planet’s temperature from rising further. Ecosystem An ecosystem is a community consisting of a habitat, resources, and organisms. Climate change has a huge impact on ecosystems, since a change in weather pattern can force species to migrate to different areas, and climate change can cause stress on an ecosystem’s terrain. When an ecosystem is endangered, it means that its resources, habitat, organisms, and biodiversity is in danger as well, all of which are crucial to the idea of sustainable development and solutions to adapting to climate change. Ecosystems play a crucial role in providing natural resources which can be an important part of a country or person’s economic well being. Gender Equality Gender equality is when everyone is given the same opportunities and treated the same regardless of gender. Gender equality consists of many different components, such as equality in the workplace, in education, in government participation etc. Gender equality is a key part in integrating women into climate change policies and generating gender-responsive actions since many women around the world are unable to participate in combating climate change due to gender inequality. Background Information Climate change is one of the most dangerous and pressing issues of our time, affecting the lives and habitats of millions of people and animals, while damaging our environments and biodiversity, things which are critical to economic and environmental sustainability. The biggest factor to climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases caused by human activities, while greenhouse gases are emitted naturally from many organisms it is estimated that emissions have risen 90% since 1990. In 1824 a French physicist named Joseph Fourier was the first to describe something known as the “ Greenhouse effect”. The greenhouse effect is described as the entrapment of heat within the Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gasses. The Earth is able to get energy in the form of sunlight from the sun, approximately 80% of this sunlight is then reflected off of the bright surface of sea ice back into space. However, due to the greenhouse gases surrounding our planet’s atmosphere, this heat is instead absorbed by our Earth. The increased temperature of our planet as a whole started a chain of extremely Research Report | Page 3 of 9 th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 negative effects, such as the melting of the polar ice caps which are crucial to the reflection of sunlight and as they melt, are now influential to the issue of rising sea levels as well as seen as the components of the term “ climate change”. Gender - Responsive Actions While the Paris Agreement is a very recent policy taking action against climate change, it is not the first to mention and highlight the importance of women on the issue of climate change. One of the nine stakeholders of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as Women and Gender Constituency aims to set guidelines and suggestions to countries on how to implement women effectively when brainstorming solutions to climate change. The group actively participates in UN negotiations, coming up with and suggesting gender - based solutions or plans to counter climate change. In December of 2014 parties at the twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties developed and adopted the Lima work programme on Gender, which aims to accelerate the implementation of gender-responsive climate change policies and mandates. Major Countries and Organizations Involved People’s Republic of China China is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, emitting 10,540,000 kilotons of carbon dioxide just from 2014. China together with the United States came together in 2016 after negotiations to ratify the Paris Agreement, an international treaty which will have countries working on adaptation to climate change, keeping global temperature levels from rising, and paving a path for consistent finances towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate change resilience development: This marked a huge step forward for China since together with the United States they make up 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. By ratifying the Paris Agreement China will tackle the challenge of climate change, focusing on gender equality and gender-responsive solutions which are stated in the preambles and operatives of the treaty. United States of America Research Report | Page 4 of 9 th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 The United States of America is one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, second to the People’s Republic of China. In 2014 research showed that the U.S was responsible for about 5,334,000 kilotonnes in carbon dioxide emissions. Despite being a major contributor to greenhouse gases the United States has been a leading party to combat climate change and develop solutions, most recently helping 190 countries come together to negotiate the Paris Agreement. With the People’s Republic of China, the U.S ratified the agreement in December 2015 and by doing so will, will be focusing on gender equality and gender-responsive solutions while helping lead discussions and development on countering climate change. Timeline of Events Date Description of event 23rd October 2014 European Union leaders decide on a 2030 framework and a set of 4 targets to be accomplished by 2030 18th September 2015 Environmental council agrees with the set targets by the European Union to reduce greenhouse emissions by 50% by the year 2030 10th November 2015 Meeting with Economic and financial affairs council to finalize the climate finances needed to fulfill the target for 2030 30th November – The Paris Climate change conference is held in Paris with 150 countries th 11 December 2015 meeting to discuss and negotiate legally binding climate change agreements 4th June 2016 EC ratifies Paris agreement 5th October 2016 EU ratifies Paris agreement 4th November 2016 Paris agreement put into motion Relevant UN Treaties and Events ● United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 4 June 1992 ● Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 22 March 1985 ● Kyoto Protocol, 11 December 1997 Research Report | Page 5 of 9 th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 ● Mainstreaming gender equality and empowerment of women in climate change policies and strategies, 4th March 2011 (E/CN.6/2011/L.1) ● Paris Agreement, 22 April 2016 ● Bonn Climate Change Conference, May 2016, SBI 44 Possible Solutions The integration of gender-responsive actions, is critical for long term sustainability and success of climate change actions for the developed and developing countries. By ensuring the full effectivity of participation of women in the decision making processes, the gaps and barriers prevention the involvement of women as decision makers can be overcome and conquered instead of just strengthened. The UNFCCC have proposed 5 key steps in realising the full implementation of the Paris Agreement through gender-responsive measures and actions. The steps are gender analysis; project/programme/policy preparation and design; gender-responsive budgeting; implementation; monitoring and evaluation. Gender Analysis The gender analysis should provide the necessary data, which is both quantitative and qualitative, required to conceive and place policies or actions. It consists of the inspection and study of the differences in men and women’s participation in economic and social life as well as identify the impact the agreement would cause on their lives. The gender analysis process would require the identification of area where there is a need for further collection of data and studying. This step should be assumed at the planning stage as it is the first key step of establishing a baseline. The collection of data can be done through interviews, surveys, community and social mapping, consultations and focus groups. It can also be founded from existing data such as national gender statistics. The gender analysis stage will determine the types of events and actions required in the implementation stage, designation of budget and resources needed for the hiring of gender experts, workshops, fieldwork and other gender-responsive actions thereby informing the monitoring and evaluation process. Project/Programme/Policy Preparation and Design Research Report | Page 6 of 9 th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 Based on the collection and completion of the gender analysis step, designing a genderresponsive intervention by identifying the key gender goals and entry points for gender considerations in the common goal of the Paris Agreement, will be attainable. Including personnel with gender expertise in the project design team is crucial to the effective mainstreaming of gender. As both men and women are able to exhibit a lack of awareness and/or knowledge in regards to gender concepts, the accounting for gender expertise is key. Thus, although including women at all levels of leadership is an important step, what is even more crucial is the skill development and strengthening for all personnel related to gender concepts. The development of a ‘gender goal’ for the intervention should be the starting point for designing gender-responsive activities.The identification of the gender results serves as an entry point for the positioning and the framing of gender equality objectives. Clear commitments will enable effective formulation of deliverables (indicators), which establish he continued focus on gender issues. Gender-responsive Budgeting The third stage, gender-responsive budgeting, aims to convert gender commitment into budget commitments. Identifying the different impacts of the budget on women and men, and making adjustments in order to ensure resources are distributed effectively to accomplish equatable results. Sufficient financial resource distribution is one of the biggest challenges in the efforts to implement gender mainstreaming.The cost of gender mainstreaming activities should be delineated in the primary gender analysis and included in the overall budget of the intervention. The effectiveness of initiatives increases when work is mainstreamed across ministries and guided by another ministry with most considerable political influence and technical expertise. Therefore, ministries such as the Ministry of Finance should be guiding the exercise whilst the Ministry of Environment follows. Implementation The implementation team should consist of a gender expert, along with team members whom have a deep and thorough understanding of gender issues. This should also apply to partners and stakeholders as it will allow for a more resilient gender responsivity even after completion of the project. Research Report | Page 7 of 9 th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 In order to establish a strong team, members and stakeholders must be assessed to set up workshops and training sessions which help with gender perceptions. Moreover, having women-focused groups or gender focal groups, will allow for better response. Involving multisectoral teams will help pinpoint focus groups of specific men and women, and consult with the as well as help to identify conditions where women may have a higher knowledge and expertise such as comprehension of household subsistence and therefore use of natural resources. Monitoring and Evaluation The final stage is the monitoring and evaluating process. It is dependant on the baseline data gathered from the gender analysis stage, and the indicators from the preparation and design stage for the monitoring of how responsive the policies and actions are undertaken to the genders. The impacts and progress should be monitored in relating to the gender targets and form from the indicators of the design stage, to the overall monitoring/evaluation plan to identify good practices that can further the promotion of gender equality and remediate any issues face during the implementation. Bibliography “Gender Equality aid_Belgium.” doi:10.1787/888932514171. Unfccc.com. “Gender-Responsiveness Crucial for Effective Climate Change ActionWorkshop at Bonn Meeting May 18-19.” UNFCCC, newsroom.unfccc.int/climate-action/gender-responsiveness-crucialeffective-climate-change-action/. “Investments for Gender-Responsive Sustainable Development.” 2014 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development World Survey of the Role of Women in Development, 2014, pp. 90–109. doi:10.18356/a5aa511b-en. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. “Gender and Climate Change.” Gender and Climate Change, unfccc.int/gender_and_climate_change/items/7516.php. “United Nations Official Document.” UN News Center, UN, www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=e%2fcn.6%2f2011%2fl.1. Research Report | Page 8 of 9 th st The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar 2017 | 24 – 27 of January 2017 www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/climate-change/timeline/. Research Report | Page 9 of 9