The impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters are unequally felt across Asia and the Pacific region. Women and marginalised groups have less access to information, resources, finance and technologies, leaving them with greater challenges in coping and rebuilding after a crisis. They also remain underrepresented in climate change, energy transition and disaster risk reduction (DRR) related decision-making.
In Asia and the Pacific, the effects of climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters disproportionately affect women and marginalised communities. These groups face greater obstacles in recovery and rebuilding after crises due to limited access to information, resources, finance, technology as well as an inadequate representation in decision-making processes.
But women can be powerful actors in accelerating change, and enabling their action requires collective and quick efforts from governmental, development, private and civil stakeholders to ensure their participation, representation and leadership, without which the solutions and response to the climate emergency will continue to exclude their needs and undermine their rights.
The EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies Programme, jointly implemented by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the support of the Governments of Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland, aims to advance gender equality and empower women in climate action by enhancing their access to finance, renewable energy technologies, and sustainable livelihoods.
EmPower, now in its second phase, focuses on placing marginalised women and girls, and other vulnerable groups, at the forefront of climate action, renewable energy (RE) solutions, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures, with the “leaving no one behind” principle at its core. The programme utilises various strategic financial interventions to unlock private capital into the development and expansion of clean energy technologies for commercial use with a focus on women and marginalised individuals.
BASE joined the initiative to provide guidance on the optimal use of UNEP grants by banks for onward disbursement to loan recipients. BASE’s role was to structure the fund and develop business models and financing mechanisms that banks could use to engage businesses led by or serving women and marginalised communities.
This guidance encompassed the entire lifecycle of grant disbursement: from the initial formulation of lending programs, through their structural design, to the ultimate disbursement to eligible borrowers.
BASE also facilitated capacity-building initiatives from the participating banks to targeted businesses, addressing both financial aspects, such as tips and best practices to apply to the loans, and technical ones, notably related to the adoption of sustainable and efficient energy systems. Additionally, the technical assistance provided to the banks aimed at supporting the fulfilment of reporting requirements, including quantifying the number of SMEs reached and detailing finance mobilisation, and determining key performance indicators such as emissions reductions.
The project is expected to support the mobilisation of USD 15.5 million from 3 banks and by 2027 for sustainable energy initiatives based on gender-responsive and LNOB principles.
The loans or financing provided for sustainable energy for climate-resilient livelihoods are planned to reach 370 SMEs led or owned by women or marginalised individuals, or serving women or marginalised individuals. Additionally, the project aims to direct capital to 7,500 ultra-micro women entrepreneurs. Empower also includes the training of more than 250 bank employees on providing financing to W-SMEs and of over 400 customers and external stakeholders on accessing green finance.
