Exploring the role of women in achieving carbon targets
Positive Impact and UNFCCC Secretariat celebrated International Women’s Day 2021 with a unique exploration into the role of women in achieving carbon targets.
International Women’s Day Roundtable
Does our gender impact our carbon emissions?
Is there a specific role for women in achieving carbon targets?
These are huge and equally interesting questions and the International Women Day Roundtable with Positive Impact & UNFCCC started in March 2021 with an exploration into these questions and what they could mean for the future of the global event sector.
Today humanity is facing crises of health, economy, inequality and climate. Events, which have a predominantly female workforce, have a vital role to play in addressing these challenges, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and enabling human interaction.
At this roundtable we discussed the above and how at the upcoming COP 26 conference, it could be announced that the UK event sector has developed a carbon target and reduction framework.
With COP26 on the horizon, a noticeable increase in corporate commitments to reduce carbon emissions, and an event sector ready to build back better after the devastating effects of Covid, now is the perfect time to get curious about the role of women in achieving carbon targets.
The global event sector is a majority female workplace (A 2017 paper by R Thomas from Leeds Beckett University states women comprise 75% of the events workplace but there is a promotion + pay gap that favours men). So, if there is a correlation between gender and carbon emissions the event sector would be a sector of interest.
Another interesting question is whether it is being the action of a women or a man that causes differing emissions or the use of feminine and masculine traits. For example, are traits such as inclusion, collaboration, care going to cause less emissions than assertiveness, independence are leadership? In other words, will the traits we choose to use (no matter or gender) impact or carbon emissions?
These questions may seem “airy fairy” and of no relevance to the event sector until you consider that the traits we use can directly influence the type of event we have. Put simply, a meeting for independent business leaders is more likely to have meeting logistics including travel, venue, food than a meeting open to all with the purpose of enabling collaboration which is likely to use meeting logistics for an online meeting.
There is a gap which exists for the event sector to be able to move from being curious about these questions to actually shaping the future of the sector. The gap is having a sector target for carbon emissions and a reduction plan which means the sector is measuring and learning from data.
It could be that the future of the event sector is one where feminine traits are used with the results of providing jobs for a workforce most significantly impacted by Covid - delivering impactful events with legacy beyond memories of a ‘good meeting’.
However, until we start measuring, learning from measurement and reducing our emissions this isn’t a conversation the event sector can advance.
At the roundtable, participants gained:
The ability to talk to their CEO in strategic and impactful terms.
Understanding and experience of contributing to UN policies which will impact future strategy of global governments and business.
There was a £15 (approx €17/ $20) registration fee to join, used to fund the creation of the Climate Action framework. The funding was received and administered by Positive Impact. No funding was allocated to the UNFCCC.
