From 16 to 26 June, we participated in the 62nd session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) in Bonn, Germany, a crucial mid-year climate negotiation that shapes the agenda and expectations for COP30, to be held in Belém, Brazil, by the end of this year.

The SB sessions are a key moment for governments, civil society, and other stakeholders to engage on pressing issues like climate finance, loss and damage, and just transition. This year, our delegation focused on ensuring that human rights and gender justice remain central to climate action, particularly in the evolving Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) and the roadmap for scaling climate finance.

While we welcome some positive developments, including in the JTWP, the overall lack of urgency and ambition of many negotiators was concerning. With limited progress on key fronts, the path from Baku to Belém remains uncertain, especially in meeting the scale and equity of the proposed USD 1.3 trillion climate finance goal. Much more ambition and political will are needed in the lead-up to COP30.

As part of our engagement in Bonn, we also co-sponsored the side event “Gender Transformative Approaches to Just Transition in the NDCs, the GAP and beyond”, where our Programme Officer on Economic Justice, Michelle Cañas, presented findings from our forthcoming publication “No Just Transition Without Gender Justice: Recommendations for International Partnerships.” The presentation examined the shortcomings of international energy partnerships like the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), which often fail to address gender inequality meaningfully.

We argued for a gender-transformative approach to climate cooperation that tackles the root causes of inequality, centers intersectionality, and enables the leadership and participation of women and gender-diverse people at all levels. This goes beyond token inclusion and calls for structural change in how climate transitions are designed, financed, and governed.

In the months ahead, we will continue advocating for feminist and rights-based approaches to climate action, working closely with allies in the lead-up to COP30 in Belém.