Tracking Gender Parity in Global Climate Governance: Evidence from the UNFCCC Gender Composition Report (2025)

Achieving gender parity in global climate governance remains a crucial component of equitable and effective policymaking. Drawing on the Gender Composition Report 2025 (FCCC/CP/2025/4) prepared by the UNFCCC Secretariat, this paper analyses official data from COP 29 (CMP 19/CMA 6) and the subsidiary body sessions (SB 62) to assess progress toward gender balance in climate decision-making. The findings reveal incremental but measurable improvement: women accounted for 37.8 per cent of Party delegates at COP 29—an increase of 1.8 percentage points compared with 2024—and 32.3 per cent of heads and deputy heads of delegation, representing a 4.8-percentage-point gain. Notably, the SB 62 June sessions achieved full gender balance among Party delegates, with 53.2 per cent female representation. Across UNFCCC constituted bodies, 7 of 17 achieved gender balance, and overall female representation averaged 40 per cent—up from 39 per cent in 2024. Two case studies embedded in the report underscore a broader trend toward inclusivity: gender-balanced side-event panels rose from 20 per cent (COP 26) to 39 per cent (COP 29), while comparable subsidiary-body panels increased from 28 per cent (SB 56) to 53 per cent (SB 62). Together, these patterns indicate that institutional commitments—such as the enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender and its Gender Action Plan—are translating into measurable gains. The paper situates these developments within social-science frameworks of gender equity, representation, and global policy learning, with particular emphasis on progress in the Global South.