Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture & Natural Resource Management
Women’s Carbon Standard
Presented to the Gender Forum Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment (NWMLE), February 17 2013 Nairobi Kenya
Background on the Women’s Carbon Standard Climate Change mitigation projects are one important way to limit climate changing emissions. Integrating women’s participation in climate mitigation projects in a systematic, relevant way connects environmental, economic and social co-benefits.
Mitigation projects generate carbon “offsets” or “credits” which, when sold, can bring revenues back to communities as well as investors. The WCS can be applied to OTHER types of projects as well – In any circumstance where women’s empowerment and participation can be enhanced – and can stand alone.
What is a Carbon Standard? • A Carbon Standard (or methodology) is a set of rules that define how projects are designed and executed. • The resulting projects are intended to reduce climate changing emissions and create “credits” or “offsets” which have a market value • Some standards are applied in a compliance market (like CDM), others in a voluntary market (using Gold standard, VCS and others)
Compliance Emissions Reductions (CERs) using CDM standards Compliance Market (Cap and Trade systems)
Voluntary Emissions Reductions (VERs) using VCS, CAR, and other standards
Voluntary Market
What is the Women’s Carbon Standard ? The Women’s Carbon Standard is a set of project design and implementation requirements that • Complement existing compliance or voluntary carbon standards, or other ecosystem services programmes • Specifically include women’s empowerment and participation • Quantify beneficial outcomes for women, their families and communities WCS adds value
Women’s Carbon Standard
WCS
Carbon Project
Established Carbon Mitigation Standards
Why a Women’s Carbon Standard? • Women need not be cast as victims, vulnerable to climate change impacts – they can be seen as primary actors in climate change mitigation by recognizing their roles in managing natural resources and providing ecosystem services. • Carbon projects can be a leveraged to address women’s empowerment AND climate mitigation, through investments in women.
How will the Women’s Carbon Standard be Implemented? • Existing or New projects assess how the WCS can be integrated into their project • Projects must plan for and measure progress in six domains • Any type of carbon emissions reduction project is potentially applicable: forestry, energy, agriculture, etc. • The WCS can be applied to other programmes, but WOCAN is starting with Carbon projects
Example Performance Measures for the Women’s Carbon Standard Domain
Example Outcome
Example Indicator
Example Activity
Example Measure
Income and Assets
Increased community funds under women’s control Improved well being and increased productivity Increased knowledge and skills
Increase in Assets (land, trees, equipment, livestock)
Support development of women’s savings and loan initiatives (ex. through seed funds)
Bank accounts in women’s name
Increased discretionary time. Increased sharing of women’s work Increased access to literacy/numeracy, business skills, and agriculture and health skills
Provision of time saving technologies and tools
Numbers of hours/day spent on other activities
Classes or training and site visits to see successful activities of others
Records of classes, certificates of completion, attendees list, etc.
Increased decision making roles for women Increased food security (decrease under and malnutrition) Improved health
Increased representation in governance bodies.
Establish quotas for representation of women in governance bodies
Number of women members, and women’s groups.
Decrease in period of Food insecurity (determined locally)
Provision of technical inputs (including seeds, tools, storage bins, irrigation , etc)
•
Amount of food in storage; amount of food purchased from daily wage payments
Installation of improved services (e.g. cook stoves, methane digesters)
Change in indoor air quality Change in GI diseases,
Time
Education (and Knowledge)
Leadership
Food Security
Health
•
Improved air , water quality
How will the Women’s Carbon Standard be Implemented? • Once projects are defined and underway (validated) their outcomes will be monitored and measured (verified) • Resulting social benefit + carbon credits will command a higher market price: “A small project, producing limited credits in a way that brings health, social and economic benefits to the local population, whilst protecting and enhancing the local environment, will command a much higher price than a large scale technology, where the sole benefit is carbon reduction.” Edward Hanrahan, Executive Director, ClimateCare
• WOCAN’s objective is to return as much carbon credit revenue as possible back to women and their communities.
Stakeholder Comments on the Women’s Carbon Standard How to provide input: • The WCS and its accompanying Program Guide will be available for public comment in MidMarch (~March 18th) • The documents will be posted on the WCS website. (www.womenscarbon.org) A link will also be available on the WOCAN website (www.wocan.org ) • Comments can be sent via website or email.
Women’s Carbon Standard Release Date: ~April 22nd, 2013 The WCS release will coincide with Earth Day, ~ April 22nd
The Release Event will take place in San Francisco, U.S.A. and online!
WOCAN and the Women’s Carbon Standard For more information, please contact: Jeannette Gurung Executive Director jeannettegurung@wocan.org WOCAN (Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management) United Center, Level 41, 323 Silom Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand Off: +66 81 871 2508 Cell: +66 87 993 0096