Women leaders are the key to sustainable climate solutions

(EurActiv, 1 Dec 2022) Women’s leadership has been shown to result in greater responsiveness to citizens’ needs, as well as increased cooperation in delivering sustainable peace and improved outcomes of climate-related projects and policies, writes Ebru Özdemir.

Ebru Özdemir is chairwoman of Limak Group, a conglomerate with interests including construction, energy, cement, technology and tourism.

As COP27 has ended, it seems that the world missed yet another opportunity to take decisive actions in tackling climate change. This year, in Egypt, countries reached a consensus on financing the “loss and damage” fund for vulnerable countries but failed to progress on mitigation, adaptation, and international collaboration towards a more ambitious agreement than in Glasgow last year.

At the same time, the summit witnessed protests in Sharm El-Sheik and all around the world with activists demanding climate justice. In efforts to save the planet from climate change, the term climate justice has become frequently used.

The activists argue the climate crisis is a justice issue because 1) the causes of climate change are based on social inequalities that are driving overconsumption, 2) the impacts of climate change are not felt equally, and 3) the policies designed to manage climate change will have unequal consequences. It’s an argument I sympathise with, and as we look forward to COP28, we must ensure that climate justice is achieved effectively.

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EurActiv, 1 Dec 2022: Women leaders are the key to sustainable climate solutions