ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the relation between the European Union (EU’s) climate action and its gender equality agenda. It argues that there is potential for this traditionally gender-blind area of EU policy-making to become more gender-just. A statement of commitment to gender equality is regularly tagged onto Council climate change documents. Climate change as a policy issue is closely related to energy, which has always been at the heart of the EU’s policy remit. Energy use makes a major contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, and strategies for addressing climate change include improving energy efficiency and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. EU climate policy has three main components: mitigation, adaptation and climate diplomacy. Mitigation refers to strategies for reducing climate change, largely through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of climate change are not the same for everyone. A handful of scholars have taken an intersectional approach to understanding the impact of climate change and responses to it.
