COP 26: Time to place gender at the heart of climate mitigation efforts

The bugle for COP 26, to be held at Glasgow in November this year has been sounded. In the 5 years since Paris, most nations have failed to meet their emission reduction targets, resulting in a deepening of the climate crisis. Recognizing the need for greater urgency and bolder commitments, COP 26 President Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma (MP) and President Biden’s Climate Envoy, Secretary John Kerry have started dialogues with key nations, with a view to ramp up global ambitions and nudge countries to adopt frameworks for net zero economies. Not surprisingly, India, given its undisputed importance in global climate action, figures prominently in their itineraries. Close on the heels of Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma’s visit in February, India will welcome Secretary Kerry in early April for discussions to set the stage for a fruitful Glasgow summit. In many ways the time is opportune to raise the issue of prioritizing gender responsive climate action, ensuring a key role for women at Glasgow and steps required to unlock the potential of women as change agents.