Climate action in China

China is highly vulnerable to climate change risks, including storm surges, urban waterlogging and agricultural droughts. The country has a key role to play in global climate action – for which, effective delivery on national targets for carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 will be essential. Simultaneously, China is pursuing low-carbon innovation, the revitalization of rural areas and the promotion of women’s development. Gender and social inequalities affect the ability of people to participate in decision-making and access land, finance, technology and services key for climate resilience. Consequently, the adverse impacts of climate change disproportionately affect disadvantaged social groups, including women and girls, low-income communities and people with disabilities. In China, these people may be more vulnerable if located in remote rural areas, or in urban areas without a ‘hukou’ or household registration permit. Climate change interventions that address gender and other social inequalities can produce more effective and sustainable outcomes – as measures that improve the capacity of disadvantaged groups to adapt to climate change impacts also enhance the capacity of the whole community. Furthermore, women’s participation in climate change decision-making produces better environmental outcomes and a fairer distribution of resources. China’s current approach to climate change and socio-economic policy is relatively siloed, top-down and technocratic, which typically precludes the consideration of inclusive approaches to climate action that support women’s development. This poses the risk of implementing climate change measures that inadvertently worsen social inequalities. However, key synergies exist between work on climate change mitigation and adaptation, rural revitalization and women’s development in China. For example, initiatives that assist low-income rural women farmers to develop sustainable, secure livelihoods – through access to education and technology – support women’s development, as well as community-level climate resilience and poverty reduction. The transition away from fossil fuels will create a net increase in jobs in China – providing an opportunity to promote diversity in the newly created jobs and ensure a ‘just transition’ for the most affected workers and communities. By leveraging the synergies between these policy areas, China can accelerate progress on its national climate goals while promoting ‘common prosperity’, sustainable growth and women’s development. While collaboration among researchers and practitioners working in China on climate action, rural revitalization, women’s development and social inclusion is relatively limited, interest in interdisciplinary exchange is growing. There is a nascent interdisciplinary ‘community of practice’ on gender and inclusion in climate action in China, with international ties, which could build a strong evidence base to support cross-sectoral policy dialogue, public awareness and the development of inclusive climate programmes. To advance gender equality and social inclusion in climate action in China, this paper proposes four levers for change:Collecting sex-, age- and diversity-disaggregated data and conducting interdisciplinary qualitative research can help to identify the root causes of different social groups’ vulnerability to direct and systemic climate change impacts. This can help to target and ‘make the case’ for gender-transformative climate change adaptation measures, as well as raise awareness among the public and policymakers.Combining climate change, rural revitalization and women’s development research agendas can help to identify cross-cutting solutions to environmental and social issues. For example, improving women’s access to and control over land, education and credit, and addressing unequal gender norms, can support the climate resilience of women and therefore benefit their communities.Interdisciplinary and international collaboration on gender-transformative climate change programmes can harness synergies between gender equality and climate action. Programmes to ensure that all people – including low-income, rural and rural-to-urban migrant women – have opportunities to access ‘green jobs’ in a just transition away from fossil fuels to sustainable energy are an opportunity for collaboration and can inform policy measures.Supporting inclusive approaches to climate action offers funders an opportunity for impact and innovation in China. Funders can foster interdisciplinary collaboration by supporting gender and inclusion capacity-building, creating coalitions between organizations, and requiring gender mainstreaming in programme proposals, monitoring and evaluation.