By Yvonne Ndanu, Senior Gender Officer, State Department for Gender Affairs and Affirmative Action
As I stepped into the halls of the World Conference Center in Bonn for the 62nd sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB62), I was filled with a deep sense of purpose. This was not just another climate meeting, it was a critical moment to push forward the intersectional agenda we’ve long championed: one that recognizes that climate justice is inseparable from gender equality and disability inclusion.
A Turning Point for Gender and Climate Policy
One of the highlights of SB62 was the initiation of a new Gender Action Plan (GAP). This marks a pivotal moment, transitioning from reviewing the existing Enhanced Lima Work Programme to designing a new framework that responds to current realities and emerging challenges. The in-session technical workshop brought together Parties, civil society, and experts who echoed a common call: gender-responsive climate action must be bold, resourced, and intersectional.
As a Gender Negotiator, I was encouraged to see discussions not only emphasizing women’s leadership and gender balance in climate negotiations but also the importance of financing and data systems that reflect gender realities. The process ahead remains challenging, but SB62 laid a promising foundation.
Disability Inclusion Gains Ground
While disability remains underrepresented in many climate dialogues, I was heartened by growing advocacy to integrate the voices and needs of persons with disabilities into climate policy. Side events, particularly those organized by rights-based organizations, amplified the call for climate plans that are inclusive, accessible, and equitable.
We must remember: climate change disproportionately affects persons with disabilities, who face higher risks in disasters, displacement, and climate-related health impacts. SB62 reinforced the urgency of embedding disability-responsive measures in national climate strategies, including early warning systems, adaptation programmes, and loss and damage finance mechanisms.
Climate Action with Equity at the Core
What became clear at SB62 is that technical climate solutions are not enough. The transition must be just, inclusive, and community-driven. As governments debated mitigation targets and financing pledges, it was our role, as gender and inclusion advocates, to remind them that social justice cannot be an afterthought.
One powerful moment was a civil society dialogue where a young woman with a disability from the Pacific shared how rising sea levels threaten not just her village, but her right to exist with dignity. Her words stayed with me: “We are not vulnerable. The system makes us vulnerable. Change the system.”
What’s Next?
As the work now shifts to COP30, our focus must remain sharp:
- Advocate for a new Gender Action Plan that is inclusive of marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities.
- Push for disaggregated data systems that reflect gender and disability dimensions.
- Ensure climate finance mechanisms prioritize locally-led and inclusive initiatives.
Final Thoughts
SB62 was not just about policy, it was about people. It reminded me that every clause in a negotiation text has real-world consequences for women, men, girls, and boys, and persons with disabilities facing the brunt of a changing climate. As I leave Bonn, I carry with me both the weight of the work ahead and the hope inspired by a growing movement for justice.
Let’s keep pushing, because climate action that leaves no one behind is the only kind worth fighting for.