Gender and Environment Data Alliance’s submission on the format and scope of the in-session technical workshop to be held at SB62 to facilitate the design of gender action plan activities
The Gender and Environment Data Alliance (GEDA), a network of more than 90 organizations working at the nexus of gender, environment and data, presents its submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) regarding the format, scope and content of the in-session technical workshop to be held at SB62 (June 2025) to facilitate the design of gender action plan activities. GEDA views the Lima work programme on gender and its gender action plan (GAP) as critical for catalyzing gender-responsive climate action, and therefore welcomes its extension for ten years and the roadmap established within the latest decision on gender from COP29 to develop its GAP.
To enhance its effectiveness and amplify its impact, the next iteration of the GAP must build on increased availability, accessibility, uptake, and application of gender-environment data. The rising attention to gender data is evident, from the 77% of submissions from Parties on the GAP that mention gender data to the reference in the COP29 gender decision, which states:
“Encourages United Nations entities to cooperate with Parties on mainstreaming gender- and age-disaggregated data in their existing policies, enabling mechanisms and programmes, across all levels of governance, and to support Parties in directly applying the best available science in the collection and analysis of data sets, including on the impacts of extreme weather and slow onset events;”
After such contested negotiations, this consensus on gender- and age-disaggregated data indicates Parties’ growing emphasis on prioritizing data as a means of gender-responsive climate action. The upcoming SB62 (62nd sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)) workshop now presents an opportunity to incorporate activities into the GAP that are representative of this overarching consensus. This submission is structured as follows: (I) analyzing the role of gender and environment data in the last iteration of the GAP; (II) recommendations for the SB62 workshop regarding format, scope and content; and (III) conclusion.
- The Role of Gender and Environment Data in the GAP
The latest iteration of the GAP recognizes the value of data for gender-responsive climate action, integrating it into several priority areas.
Data is explicitly mentioned in Priority areas A and D:
- “Enhance capacity-building for governments and other relevant stakeholders to collect, analyze and apply sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis in the context of climate change” (Activity A.3)
- “Enhance the availability of sex-disaggregated data for gender analysis, taking into consideration multidimensional factors to better inform gender-responsive climate policies, plans, strategies and action” (Activity D.7 and related Deliverable D.7)
While not explicitly mentioned, data underpins several objectives in Priority areas A and E:
- “Strengthen the evidence base and understanding of the differentiated impacts of climate change on men and women and the role of women as agents of change and on opportunities for women” (Activity A.3)
- “Strengthen the monitoring and reporting on women in leadership positions within the UNFCCC process…” (Activity E.1)
- “Monitor and report on the implementation of gender-responsive climate policies, plans, strategies and action…” (Activity E.2)
- “Support the review of the Lima work programme on gender and its gender action plan” (Activity E.3)
There are other ways data has been centered in the GAP. The UNFCCC Secretariat regularly collects and publishes data on the gender and age of COP Party delegations and constituted bodies in its annual Gender Composition Report. Though this data has inherent limitations—quantitative measures may not capture the quality and meaningfulness of participation—it assists Parties in tracking their progress towards the goal of gender balance in climate change negotiations, and has contributed to making the case for more equal participation and leadership of women in UNFCCC processes. The expert dialogue at SB58 on constituted bodies and gender included presentations and examples of how they have integrated gender, providing useful qualitative data. The Secretariat also published a report on good practices (under activity C.2) with valuable qualitative data.
Finally, as mentioned above, the need for data is further re-emphasized in the latest gender decision from COP29. These aforementioned references indicate that pushing towards data-strengthening could be not only feasible but also desirable within this new framework.
Recommendations for SB62 Workshop
- Format and Structure
The technical workshop at SB62 should be future-oriented, focused on developing activities that will guide the negotiations at SB62 and COP30. It should strive to build consensus from a technical standpoint, enhancing understanding and finding common ground before formal negotiations begin. We recommend that key documents, including a detailed agenda and preparatory materials, be provided well in advance to enhance accessibility and encourage proactive participation from all Parties and observers.
In terms of workshop structure, we recommend organizing Parties into working groups based on the five existing Priority Areas from the current GAP to ensure comprehensive coverage while maintaining continuity. Two of the contemplated Priority Areas could be:
Priority Area A
Priority Area A (Capacity-building, knowledge management and communication) would be the most appropriate home for focused discussions on gender-environment data, given that it already includes Activity A.3 on capacity-building for data collection and analysis. This group could address key questions including: How can we strengthen national statistical systems to collect gender-environment data? What approaches could enhance participatory data collection that centers marginalized voices? How can we promote data collection methodologies that move beyond binary approaches to gender? What workshops, if any, should we consider? How can civil society and observers better participate in the Party-driven process of identifying and using priority indicators? The group should also consider how capacity-building activities for data collection and use could be designed to reach beyond National Gender and Climate Change Focal Points to include statistical offices, sectoral ministries, and local governments implementing climate action.
Priority Area E
Priority Area E (Monitoring and reporting) represents another focus area for gender data discussions, as it inherently relies on robust data systems to fulfill its function. The group addressing this Priority Area should tackle questions including: How can the monitoring framework for the GAP be strengthened with specific, measurable indicators that track both implementation processes and outcomes? What reporting mechanisms would most effectively capture progress on gender-responsive climate action while minimizing reporting burdens on Parties? How can we ensure that gender data collected through activities E.1 and E.2 informs future iterations of climate policy? What intermediate review processes might be established within the ten-year timeline to allow for adaptive management of the GAP? This group should also consider how monitoring and reporting on gender-responsive climate action could be better aligned with existing reporting requirements under the Paris Agreement, creating synergies between both processes.
GEDA also considers that a second workshop (as mentioned within the roadmap to the GAP in COP29’s decision) would further enhance the opportunities to discuss, collaborate and alienate activities for the GAP, lowering the contention points to be discussed during negotiations.
- Content and Scope
Although not explicitly the focus of the workshop, there should be a priority of strengthening the gender data framework throughout the new GAP as Parties contemplate new activities. As this area serves as an enabler for all other priority areas, we suggest integrating specific data-focused activities within each existing priority area. This includes developing specific activities to enhance the production, collection, and use of gender-environment data, in line with national statistical laws, and creating more robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms with clear indicators.
GEDA suggests the following activities could serve to strengthen the gender data framework within the GAP:
On Capacity-Building and Data Frameworks
To strengthen gender data collection capabilities and establish robust monitoring systems, GEDA recommends the following activities:
- Invite the Secretariat to host a Party-led workshop series to strengthen Parties’ capacity to collect gender-environment data, with opportunities to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices throughout the ten-year timeframe, with support from relevant UN entities and civil society.
- Develop and implement specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) targets and indicators across all priority areas to create a robust gender-responsive indicator framework.
- Integrate gender data in efforts to enhance coherence and mainstream gender across UNFCCC processes and mechanisms.
- If the previous text is to be strengthened: reframe Activity D.7 to read: “Enhance the availability of gender- data for intersectional gender analysis, taking into consideration multidimensional factors to better inform gender-responsive climate policies, plans, strategies and action, as appropriate.”
The new GAP should also enable the use of non-official data sources within data collection efforts, to enhance the comprehensiveness and timeliness of data sources and collection processes. It should center decolonial and participatory practices, enhancing accessibility and considering contextual knowledge. For example, this could include the integration of qualitative data approaches, such as feminist participatory action research, to provide a more nuanced understanding of power dynamics and the diversification of knowledge, as well as the integration of community-generated data. Data should be analyzed and communicated through reporting mechanisms as well as applying it in decision-making within countries.
It is also crucial for participants in data generation to be also involved in its use, to avoid inherently extractive systems and ensure the data reaches and benefits to the communities involved in its generation themselves. Workshops in the GAP could be framed to this end to enhance understanding of non-official data, data stewardship and feminist participatory action research.
On Review and Reporting Processes
To ensure accountability and measure progress effectively throughout the GAP implementation, GEDA recommends:
- Creating a structured review process with an intermediate review at the five-year mark, aligned with existing reporting processes under the Paris Agreement such as NAPs, NDCs, and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), as well as the Global Stocktake. We also suggest reviews within the ten-year timeframe, within the specific capacities of Parties.
- Strengthening monitoring and reporting through gender data mainstreaming into key reporting mechanisms under the UNFCCC, specifically notably biennial transparency reports (BTRs) and National Communications.
- Strengthening links between gender equality and other crucial dimensions of climate action, drawing from scientific research and fostering synergies with other international frameworks, including aligning with existing gender data collection in other global frameworks and UNFCCC processes.
On Intersectional Data and Inclusion
To ensure the GAP acknowledges the diverse realities, considers differentiated impacts and addresses the needs of all people affected by climate change, GEDA suggests:
- Add a deliverable under Activity A.4 that invites Parties to document their progress, impacts, and challenges in applying intersectionality within climate policies, in consideration of the differentiated impacts, needs, and experiences of people with intersecting identities such as, but not limited to, race, disability, ethnicity, class, territory, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual expression and characteristics, education, and Indigeneity
- Expand the understanding of gender beyond the binary to include the realities of LGBTQIA+ people.
- Ensure that gender data production and use safely incorporates other intersecting identities such as age, ethnicity, disability, and Indigeneity.
Regarding the text in the new gender decision, and while acknowledging the contributions of United Nations entities in this domain, we must recognize that other organizations also play vital roles in collecting, analyzing, and applying gender- and age-disaggregated data and incorporating the best available science into policies, mechanisms, and programs across all governance levels. We therefore recommend expanding the scope of actions in the GAP to include these additional stakeholders, particularly civil society. Furthermore, we recognize the importance of considering other factors that intersect with gender and age in different contexts, as the current provision within the text is not comprehensive of other intersecting identities.
- Conclusion
Increasing the production, collection, and use of gender-environment data is critical to inform and nurture gender-responsive climate policy. Including clear and strong language on gender-environment data throughout the GAP can guide and encourage Parties to strengthen their capacity for producing, enhancing and analyzing data, as well as monitoring gender-responsive climate action. Without detailed and timely gender data, the impacts of climate policies and programmes cannot be measured. At worst, policies not rooted in evidence might unintentionally perpetuate existing inequalities, leaving women, girls, and gender-diverse people more vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis.
GEDA’s submission and overall objectives echo and advance the Call to Action from the Global Conference on Gender and Environment Data, a powerful recognition by governments, UN agencies and other gender-environment data actors (including GEDA) of the importance of gender-environment data. The Call to Action outlines concrete and collective steps to support progress around production, uptake, financing, inclusivity, and partnerships. Building from this foundation, GEDA strongly advocates for the inclusion of civil society and observers into the Party-driven process, striving for inclusive and participatory processes that will overall enhance the quality and quantity of data collection, production and use, particularly as we counter the shrinking civic space.
We call upon Parties at SB62 to ensure the technical workshop meaningfully addresses these data priorities, creating a new GAP that establishes clearer accountability mechanisms through more robust data frameworks. We urge Parties to commit to specific, actionable activities that will transform how gender-environment data is collected, analyzed, and applied to climate policy. Only through evidence-based approaches can we ensure that gender-responsive climate action addresses the differentiated needs and realities of all those impacted by climate change.
Submitted on behalf of the Gender and Environment Data Alliance (GEDA), a network of more than 90 organizations working to improve the availability, accessibility, and use of gender-environment data to inform decision-making and policy.
