A/HRC/41/26 B. Shaping a gender-responsive, rights-based approach to climate action 45. Sustainable climate action that benefits all people within a society requires knowledge and consideration of the different roles, responsibilities, priorities, capabilities and needs of all of its members. 81 This must involve a rights-based, gender-responsive approach at the local, national and international levels that ensures that all people, including and especially women, are included, consulted, and empowered to participate in decisionmaking, planning, implementation and assessment, as regards climate action. 82 Taking this approach means fully integrating human rights and gender in climate action, through: (a) The integration of principles and standards derived from international human rights law, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and other core human rights treaties, in all policies and programming; (b) Improved understanding of the gendered impacts of climate change and climate action (e.g. mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer, finance and capacitybuilding) informed by the lived experiences of women; (c) Women’s meaningful, informed and effective participation in climate change-related decision-making, and climate change mitigation and adaptation, at all levels; (d) Gender mainstreaming83 as well as targeted gender strategies in legislation, policymaking, programming and other activities related to climate action; (e) Clarification and implementation of the obligations and responsibilities of duty bearers such as States and private actors. 46. A gender-responsive approach should integrate gender perspectives at all levels of decision-making to ensure the full and meaningful participation of women and to achieve gender-equitable outcomes. This must involve consulting with women on climate action84 regardless of their level of education or access to power, and ensuring a just transition to a low-carbon economy that does not perpetuate gender inequality. When developing rightsbased, gender-responsive approaches to climate change, it is important to note that diverse factors such as human mobility can cause gender roles to shift within a society. This means that gender-responsive approaches will need frequent assessment, reframing and normative adjustments in order to fit shifting societal and climatic conditions.85 47. Climate finance is an area where the application of a gender-responsive approach is critical. If project proponents fail to consider the gendered impacts of climate change and patterns of discrimination that women face more generally, expenditures for climate action may exacerbate gender inequality. Conversely, gender-responsive climate finance has the potential to enhance climate resilience, reduce emissions, and advance women’s enjoyment of human rights and gender equality. It is also a key requirement for the long-term sustainability of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Climate finance should be channelled toward projects that directly benefit women and are designed, decided and implemented with their full and effective participation. This requires addressing underlying gender inequalities in legal and normative frameworks that act as barriers to women participating in climate action, which will in turn improve livelihoods and increase the resilience of communities affected by climate change.86 81 82 83 84 85 86 14 UN-Women, “Pacific gender and climate change toolkit: tools for practitioners”. UN-Women, Leveraging Co-Benefits. Gender mainstreaming is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. The goal is to achieve gender equality. See Economic and Social Council agreed conclusions 1997/2. UNDP, “Overview of linkages between gender and climate change”. Tanu Priya Uteng, “Gender and mobility in the developing world” (2011), available at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2012/Resources/7778105-1299699968583/77862101322671773271/uteng.pdf. See www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Development/Session19/A_HRC_WG.2_19_CRP.4.pdf.