Gender equality is a critical element of effective, sustainable climate action. As Canada considers its next five-year climate finance pledge, the desire to align with and advance Canada’s long-term goals for global sustainability, development, and human rights – as well as the principles outlined in the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) – makes a gender lens and feminist perspective imperative. This climate financing pledge provides Canada with an opportunity to build another pillar into its Feminist Foreign Policy. WEDO views ambitious and targeted finance as a central component to strengthening any and all feminist foreign policies.

Canada has an opportunity to be a worldwide leader in climate finance, building on a history of shaping and influencing global conversations, such as around feminist foreign policy and gender equality. Demonstrating leadership on climate finance that is far-sighted, multipronged, and integrated with other policy goals can catalyze further global action of the scale necessary to truly transform our society into one that is climate resilient and able to thrive while maintaining warming under 1.5°C. The question of effectiveness extends far beyond the measurement of tonnes of carbon mitigated per dollar invested, to whether Canada’s investments contribute to the shift to a sustainable pathway where global warming will be limited and gender equality achieved.