As worldwide coal emissions continue to hit record highs, science has never been clearer: we must act decisively to end our dependence on this highly polluting energy source. We have the technological tools to make the shift, as solar- and wind-powered energy becomes ever more affordable and new solutions are tested daily.
It is the size of the coal sector that presents the greatest challenge. The path to a cleaner, greener future ultimately means replacing 80 percent of coal-fired energy with renewable alternatives and shuttering more than 15,000 active coal mines, while offering just transitions to the communities currently dependent on them.
For developing countries, where three-quarters of global coal is currently burned, a transformation on this scale will require a break with business-as-usual approaches. That is precisely why women must be brought front and center – as two traditionally coal-dependent nations, South Africa and Indonesia, are already recognizing.
Delivering opportunities
Ensuring that women are heard in the transition away from fossil fuels makes sense: multiple studies have made it clear that women are impacted more severely by climate change and must face higher risks. They are often the last to be heard and the first to lose jobs when a closure is announced.
When CIF set up the first-of-its-kind Accelerating Coal Transition investment program (ACT) in 2021 to scale-up support for developing countries, we added a targeted funding window specifically to address this. The trailblazing Women-Led Coal Transitions (WOLCOT) grant mechanism supports governments in developing countries to plan transitions that deliver opportunities for women to be heard. It includes policies and roadmaps that consider how women are affected.
“I think women are going to make the difference,” says Penelope Herbst, an expert in clean energy transitions. In her work with South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership, supported under ACT, she has seen first-hand the gender dynamics in the coal sector.
The disparities are stark. Worldwide, most jobs in coal – and almost all highly-paid or high-status roles – are occupied by men. Women are overwhelmingly employed in informal or “invisible” jobs, meaning they are not entitled to compensation if injured and have almost no voice when it comes to negotiating change. For this reason, large-scale projects to re-skill workers and provide transition finance rarely reach women.
But the break away from coal presents a historic opportunity to tackle these deep-rooted inequalities. With the right large-scale investment and an inclusive approach to planning, governments can help local communities cope better with change and replace dangerous, poorly paid employment in coal mines and power plants with decent work and quality jobs in the low-carbon economy. And they can level the playing field so that both men and women can reap the rewards equally.
Making these changes comes with clear benefits, economically, socially and politically. When women take on leadership roles, profits increase, jobs are created, and costs go down. Involving women ensures that benefits of a transition are distributed fairly, boosts the chances of finding innovative responses, gives public programs more legitimacy, and generates more buy-in from local communities.
Ahead of the curve
The first step is actively drawing women into discussions and decision-making at all levels – from village organizations to the boardrooms of major utility companies. The very presence of women in leadership roles kicks off a virtuous cycle of change, helping to break down long-held gender stereotypes and inspiring more women to step forward and speak up.
It is an approach that is already up and running in South Africa and Indonesia, two of the first countries to begin incorporating a gender-transformative approach into their ambitious coal transition plans. Under CIF’s WOLCOT grant mechanism, funding will go directly to local women’s organizations, to empower them to take a seat at the negotiating table.
In South Africa, one of the world’s most coal-dependent economies, CIF ACT supports a just transition. There are now plans to launch a women’s council, and networks of women’s organizations are already being brought together.
In Indonesia, another key ACT country, an initial round of consultations with women’s organizations has kicked off and the national energy company is interested in developing training for its staff on gender and social inclusion. The country’s Just Energy Transition Plan includes a dedicated section on gender equality; the next step is to translate this into a concrete roadmap. Other actions that are on the table include policies to eliminate discrimination in energy companies’ hiring processes, piloting access to finance programs for potential female entrepreneurs, and ensuring women are represented in discussions relating to mine closure planning and transition finance.
Not only will women’s groups be supported to articulate how a proposed transition will affect them, but WOLCOT will also provide small grants to tackle these priorities in innovative ways.
“Solutions need to come in all sizes and shapes,” says Nina Kolybashkina, the driving force behind CIF’s new WOLCOT mechanism. “The grants allow women-led organizations to pilot new approaches and find what really gets women – along with local community members, Indigenous people, and persons with disabilities – jobs in the new green economy. But we also need to focus on capacity building and policy measures to ensure that women led organizations are able to contribute to energy transition policy making.”
There is an urgent need for a transition away from coal and towards clean energy solutions. Coal power plants produce a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than any other single source. Meeting the Paris Agreement’s ambitious goal of restricting global warming to 1.5°C above pre industrial levels requires a transition away from coal and towards clean energy solutions. The transition will entail the need for investments in renewable projects that not only protect the environment but also ensure sustainable livelihoods for all stakeholders affected. The type of investments and projects that are envisioned under “Energy Transition” include operations targeting the closure of coal-powered plants, the establishment of new transmission lines, and the adoption of renewable energy sources such as biomass, green hydrogen, wind, and solar.
The transition from coal to clean energy poses major social, economic, and political challenges, particularly for women, and requires a transformative approach to promote a sustainable transition. Women, and other disadvantaged social groups, such as Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, minoritised groups, and migrant workers, are disproportionately affected by the transition due to pre-existing gender and socio-economic inequities. Nevertheless, the transition also creates opportunities to challenge deeply entrenched social and gender disparities and restructure prevailing power relationships. To take advantage of these opportunities calls for a transformative approach, built on a deep understanding of the barriers to change and a rigorous and determined effort to address them.