Training Course On The Application Of The W+ Standard, Nepal
2023-03-01
WOCAN is facilitating a training course on applying the W+ Standard in Butwal, Nepal from 4-9 March 2023. Twelve staff and stakeholders of World Bank Nepal’s Forest for Prosperity Project will attend this first phase of training which consists of an introduction to the W+ Standard, learning how to develop the project Idea note, and project design document, and establishing a baseline study.
This training is part of the collaboration with the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Landscapes (PROGREEN) program. PROGREEN supports rural livelihood development and landscape restoration while tackling declining biodiversity, forest loss, and deteriorating land fertility. PROGREEN’s Gender and Vulnerability Program aims to help project teams and partners address the gender gaps. It identifies potential gender-responsive, cross-cutting activities for PROGREEN initiatives, as well as potential project/country-specific activities. WOCAN (Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and NRM) is contracted to build a Gender Certification Capacity for Landscape Projects.
The overall goal of this initiative is to provide knowledge and strengthen the capacity of project teams and country counterparts to apply the W+ Standard within integrated landscape projects and programs that significantly contribute to women’s empowerment are measurable and measured and lead to direct benefits for women and women from vulnerable community members in particular.
The results of this initiative are expected to 1) demonstrating how to do so, and 2) building a ‘network’ of trained persons, inside of the country counterpart agencies and their partners, to enable the extension of this approach within the country and larger region.

WOCAN Is Now A Member Of The USAID Climate Finance Investment Network (CFIN)
2023-03-16
USAID has launched the Climate Finance Investment Network (CFIN) which is managed by the Climate Finance for Development Accelerator (CFDA), also known as “the Accelerator”. This is a $250 million initiative designed to mobilize $2.5 billion in public and private climate investments by 2030. These investments will fund a range of climate change mitigation and adaptation activities focused on scaling up the transition to an equitable and resilient net-zero economy. The Accelerator is designed to help countries meet their national commitments in alignment with the Paris Agreement.
CFIN will bring together climate finance stakeholders across a diverse set of sectors and emerging and frontier markets to partner with USAID to crowd in private sector climate financing through learning, partnership facilitation, and catalytic grants. The Accelerator also welcomes local partners in the countries in which USAID works to co-create and design initiatives to meet national and local climate goals. If you are interested in joining the CFIN or becoming a climate finance partner eligible to receive support from the Accelerator, please click here to complete our partnership intake form or email us at info_cfda@chemonics.com for more information.

GEF Assembly Side-Event
2023-07-25
WOCAN is organizing a side event at the GEF Assembly at 9 AM on Aug 22, in Room 3, entitled An innovative investment model for gender-responsive climate mitigation and adaptation using the W+ Standard.
The panel consists of gender and climate finance experts from FOLUR (GEF partner), women-owned impact finance companies, and climate and ESG project funders who will discuss this alternative model and how it presents gender and climate justice solutions that can be supported by investors.
WOCAN is organizing a side event at the GEF Assembly at 9 AM on Aug 22, in Room 3, entitled An innovative investment model for gender-responsive climate mitigation and adaptation using the W+ Standard.
The panel consists of gender and climate finance experts from FOLUR (GEF partner), women-owned impact finance companies, and climate and ESG project funders who will discuss this alternative model and how it presents gender and climate justice solutions that can be supported by investors.

Jeannette Gurung
Kaylene Alvarez, Athena Global and WOCAN
David Oliver, Devvstream
Patti Kristjanson, PROGREEN of the World Bank
Tanushree Bagh, W+ Advisory Committee

WOCAN is developing an alternative investment model – with partners that include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation- that assures benefits of climate projects go to women’s organizations and enterprises to meet their needs for sufficient and sustained financial and technical support for climate adaptation. The model employs the W+ Standard as a results-based financing and market-based approach through the generation of gender credits (W+ Credits) that can be combined with carbon credits.
The use of the W+ Standard thus enables the movement of capital for women’s empowerment, by tapping mitigation finance to provide for climate adaptation purposes, through its requirement of revenue sharing with local women’s groups.
Kaylene, Tanushree and Jeannette will be at the conference through Friday morning and will be available to engage in any panels or discussions. For more info please contact nishaonta@wocan.org

Jeannette Gurung
Kaylene Alvarez, Athena Global and WOCAN
David Oliver, Devvstream
Patti Kristjanson, PROGREEN of the World Bank
Tanushree Bagh, W+ Advisory Committee

WOCAN is developing an alternative investment model – with partners that include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation- that assures benefits of climate projects go to women’s organizations and enterprises to meet their needs for sufficient and sustained financial and technical support for climate adaptation. The model employs the W+ Standard as a results-based financing and market-based approach through the generation of gender credits (W+ Credits) that can be combined with carbon credits.
The use of the W+ Standard thus enables the movement of capital for women’s empowerment, by tapping mitigation finance to provide for climate adaptation purposes, through its requirement of revenue sharing with local women’s groups.
Kaylene, Tanushree and Jeannette will be at the conference through Friday morning and will be available to engage in any panels or discussions. For more info please contact nishaonta@wocan.org

Asia Pacific Workshop on Women’s Inclusion for Sustainable Forests and Climate
2023-08-26 08:00 - 2023-08-27 17:00 UTC | Meeting Hall, Bangkok, Thailand, Nepal
On 26-27 March, USAID LEAF Program, WOCAN & UNREDD organizes the Asia Pacific Workshop on Women’s Inclusion for Sustainable Forests and Climate: What works? in Bangkok, Thailand.

Climate Week NYC
2023-09-17 - 2023-09-20 | New York, NY, United States
Jeannette will be attending various events of the Climate Week NYC from Sept. 17-20. Please do reach out if you would like to meet up with her there.

Fostering Change: Online Dialogue on how to improve gender considerations within the VCM
2023-10-17 03:00 - 05:00 (Pacific/Honolulu)
Recognizing the gender gaps and women’s under-representation in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and the positive impact a gender approach can bring to such work, the UN-REDD Programme is organizing this online dialogue to share awareness, build capacity and identify options to enhance gender mainstreaming within the VCM arena.
Jeannette and Sue will be speaking at this UNREDD online dialogue.
Join us on 17 Oct 2023, to share ideas in an interactive session on integrating gender in the VCM.
To engage in interactive discussions before the event, join our Gender Community of Practice: http://bit.ly/3PyX7oH
Register here: https://lnkd.in/dxkG3VTm

W+ Standard Webinar: Raising the Bar for Higher Integrity
2023-11-28 05:00 - 06:30 (Pacific/Honolulu) | Online
WOCAN will present changes made to its W+ Standard and Guidance documents, recently revised to enhance its requirements for No Net Harm and women’s empowerment claims of projects.
Panelists will present the key changes to the W+ Standard, why they are necessary, and application to a project with strong women’s leadership in India.
Virtual location
You will receive a confirmation email with a URL
Nov 28, 2023 05:00am HST – Nov 28, 2023 06:30am HST
Add to Google · Outlook · Yahoo
REGISTER HERE

COP28: Advancing Gender-Responsive Climate Finance in Africa
2023-12-04 09:00 - 10:30 (Asia/Dubai) | MDB Pavilion, COP28, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Jeannette will be on the panel during the African Development Bank Group’s COP28 Gender day session.
The side-event is designed to address the critical need for gender-responsive climate finance in transition countries and emerging economies. The complexities of transitions require innovative financial approaches that are not only adaptive but also inclusive of the unique challenges faced by women in these contexts. These financial mechanisms should be tailored to enhance women’s climate resilience.
This event will be held during the Gender, Finance and Trade Day at the MDB Pavilion on December 4 at 9:00 am local time.

COP28: Women’s Participation in Climate Action and Sustainable Development: Bridging Gender Equality and Climate Solutions
2023-12-04 14:00 - 14:45 (Pacific/Honolulu) | Dubai Expo Pavilion, COP28, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Jennette will be speaking at the UN Global Compact’s panel discussion which will take place at the Dubai Expo Pavilion within the Green Zone at COP28 on 4 December 2023.
This session will explore the nexus of climate change and gender equality, a basic human right. Fulfilling this right is the best chance we have in meeting some of the most pressing challenges of our time – from economic crisis and lack of health care, to climate change, violence against women and escalating conflicts.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change and thus, in order for a highly impactful sustainable solution to be reached, women’s expertise and leadership at all levels is crucial to driving sustainable business performance and delivering on the goals of the Paris Agreement.
As we move towards COP28, it is crucial to recognize the intersectionality of gender and climate. This panel discussion will centre on the role of business in fostering inclusive climate action, with women at the forefront, to achieve a resilient, sustainable and equitable future.
REGISTER HERE
Session Objectives:

Increase awareness about the gendered impacts of climate change and how they disproportionately affect women and girls.
Discuss the need for gender-responsive policies and strategies to enhance women’s participation and leadership in climate action.
Explore the barriers and challenges faced by women in accessing climate finance, technology, and decision-making processes.
Share examples of successful initiatives that have effectively included women in climate solutions and the clean energy transition
Encourage collaboration between Governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and initiatives like Forward Faster to promote women’s inclusion in climate solutions.

Panelists:

Moderator: Amanda Ellis, an expert on gender and climate change to provide insights into the gendered impacts of climate change and the importance of women’s participation
Vaishali Sinha, Corporate Sustainability Officer, ReNew Power: Co-founder of ReNew, a leading decarbonisation solutions company listed on NASDAQ under the ticker ‘RNW’. As Chairperson Sustainability, Vaishali has been responsible for ReNew’s emergence as a global ESG trailblazer, advancing the Net-Zero agenda, and delivering outcome-driven ESG strategies with top global rankings. Vaishali is also the Founding Chair of ReNew Foundation—the company’s philanthropic arm—driving the ReNew India Initiative for pathbreaking work in corporate social responsibility. Initiatives led by Vaishali have had an impact in the remotest corners of India, positively shaping more than 1 million lives across 250 villages in the country. One of the projects designed and implemented under her leadership has been a first-of-its kind program, showcased at the 2022 Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference (COP27), to train thousands of salt pan women workers in the country, helping them secure more remunerative jobs with significantly better working conditions in the clean energy sector.
Jeannette Gurung, Founder and Executive Director, WOCAN: offers tailored solutions for public and private entities to meet the gender requirements of climate funds, align with the goals of the Paris Agreement and contribute effectively to SDG Goal # 5 in order to implement bold climate action and sustainable development worldwide. WOCAN also focuses on women’s empowerment programs for renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and forest and water management solutions. They provide solutions to companies on understanding the risks and opportunities within their supply chains and CSR projects, and addressing consumer demands for effective social and climate actions.
Nidhi Pant, Co-Founder of S4S Technologies – a farm-gate food processing platform that converts farm losses into value-added products through the intervention of sustainable solar-powered technology. The organization increases family incomes and empowers women to be climate champions and decision-makers by transforming women farmers into micro-entrepreneurs through access to app-enabled market linkage, solar technology, bancarization, and financing. S4S Technologies works with over 24,000 farmers and 800 female entrepreneurs to prevent 40,000 tons of produce from being wasted and saves 37,000 tons of CO2 annually.

COP28: Measuring and Monetizing Women’s Empowerment within Climate Investments
2023-12-08 08:00 - 17:00 (Pacific/Honolulu) | Blue Zone, COP28, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Session Objectives:
As the W+ Standard increasingly proves to be a solution to gender-responsive climate finance, various partners are emerging to collaborate with WOCAN and utilize the W+ Standard.
In this session, panelists representing these organizations within the W+ Standard ecosystem:

Investors
Climate project developers
Carbon credit generators and traders
Women’s organizations managing community projects

Panelists will speak to how and why they employ the W+ Standard and how they see it improving climate outcomes.
The session also features practical application of the W+ Standard in projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America and its value as perceived by various stakeholders in the ecosystem.
About WOCAN and the W+ Standard
WOCAN created the W+ Standard in 2014 as a result-based financing and market-based framework to incentivize project developers to amplify support for gender /women’s empowerment and create new channels of revenue for grassroots women’s organizations. This innovation was inspired by the approach of carbon markets to monetize environmental impacts and channel capital to fund projects and benefit communities.
The W+ Standard is a framework for designing as well as monitoring results within projects and generates W+ credits—quantified and verified units of improvement in women’s conditions from a baseline in six domains. It has been applied to dozens of climate projects and can be combined with carbon credits as a co-benefit. A requirement of the W+ Standard is that at least 20 percent of the proceeds from the sale of these credits must be shared with women’s groups engaged in the project.
Moderator: Jeannette Gurung, Founder and Executive Director of Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN)
Panelists:

Edit Kiss, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Integrity Global Partners
Dr. Destenie Nock, Chief Sustainability Officer, Devvstream
Cecile Ndjebet, Founder and Director, REFACOF (African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests)

Speakers Bios:
Edit Kiss is Co-founder & Chief Commercial Officer for Integrity Global Partners, a company enabling investors to unlock fair and equitable capital at scale through the development of carbon and other environmental assets. Edit currently leads all commercial origination and evaluation of projects, including all due diligence, risk assessment, and financial structuring on projects.Edit brings 17+ years of experience in the entire value chain of carbon markets – project development and finance, origination, investment deal structuring and execution, and sales and trading. She has experience working in financial institutions, carbon funds, and renewable energy companies in London, Paris, Lugano, Rotterdam, and Budapest.Edit is currently a Non-Executive Board Director of the UK’s first rewilding business, the Real Wild Estates Company; co-chair of IETA’s Natural Climate Solutions working group; Steering Committee Member and Co-Chair of the Biodiversity Credits Working Group of the Coalition for Private Investment in Conservation (CPIC). Previous roles included: Chief Investment Officer at Revalue Nature, Investment and Development Director at Mirova Natural Capital, Structured Origination Manager, REDD+ specialist at Eneco Energy Trade, Carbon Originator at Constellation Energy.
Destenie Nock is the Chief Sustainability Officer of DevvStream, a carbon streaming company. She is also an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Public Policy and Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. She is a leader in energy justice, environmental justice, sustainable energy transitions, and the energy-poverty-climate change nexus. She has pioneered new measures of energy poverty to help utility companies identify vulnerable populations and energy deficits. From this work she has spun out a company, and is the Chief Executive Officer of Peoples Energy Analytics, a data driven company which uses energy analytics to identify poverty in vulnerable households.
Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet is President and Founder of the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF) and the Coordinator of Cameroon Ecology. Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet is an agronomist and social forester from rural Cameroon who specializes in women’s leadership. Her extensive experience includes work that addresses gender’s intersection with land tenure, climate change, and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+). She was recently named a Champion of the Earth for Inspiration and Action by the UNEP following three decades of advocacy for women’s land rights in Africa. Cameroon Ecology, an organization she co-founded in 2001, has restored over 600 hectares of degraded land and mangrove forest. In 2009, she founded the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF), which encourages the representation of women’s interests in environmental policies across 20 African countries. Cécile was elected Climate Change Champion of the Central African Commission on Forests in 2012 and serves as a member of the advisory board of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. She has won several awards, including the Gulbenkian Prize of Humanity Winner, 2023, UN Champion of The Earth, Category Inspiration and Action, 2022, Wangari Maathai Forests Champion, 2022, and COMIFAC Climate Change Champion, 2012.
Jeannette Gurung has over 25 years of experience designing and delivering capacity-strengthening programs to integrate gender and women’s empowerment into climate, agriculture and environment-related organizations and programs in over 25 countries and has been an innovator at the nexus of gender equality and climate-related sectors, working with both public and private organizations and projects. She is founder and Executive Director of WOCAN, a global network with over 1450 members in 1148 countries, to support capacity building for women’s leadership and empowerment and gender integration. She is a thought-leader in innovative financing for climate, gender and impact investing and creator of the W+ Standard to measure, quantify and monetize impacts of projects and supply chains on women’s empowerment, through the use of a results-based financing approach designed to provide incentives to projects and companies and new revenue streams to community-level women’s groups and enterprises. Jeannette is co-founder of the Women and Climate Impact Fund (https://www.wcifund.org)- a unique blended finance social investment fund to provide capital to projects that impact women’s empowerment and gender equality while reducing the effects of climate change, while using the W+ Standard to assure quality impacts. From her home base in Hawai’i, she is developing a Climate-resilient & Agricultural Innovation Hub for Women Farmers in Hawai’i County, to pilot innovations and practices to achieve climate and economic resilience through support to women farmers.
Jeannette has knowledge and experience with voluntary carbon markets and is currently a member of the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance, Climate Impact X International Advisory Council, the Sustainable Development Advisory Group of Verra. She is also a member of the Women in Carbon Network, and the Gender and Environment Data Alliance Technical Guidance and Learning Working Group.
Jeannette has a MSc in forestry from the University of Washington, and a PhD in Gender and Development from the University of East Anglia. She has expertise in certification and standards, monitoring and evaluation, training, research, gender and organizational analysis, policy advocacy and network building. She has lived in several countries of South and SE Asia.

Women4Biodiversity & FACJ Action Coalition Virtual Learning Event
2024-02-19 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Online
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLrgBIDSIwCeam32yq0VZfVAZi2LZqnZ5gBwZmOOvhW3rtXQ/viewform

24-Hour Natural Climate Solutions Summit
2024-05-14 11:00 (Pacific/Honolulu)
Across 24 hours, we’re passing the microphone all around the world, so businesses can learn:
✅ what #NaturalClimateSolutions are
✅ how they address the climate & nature crises and contribute to social development
✅ how to select credits from projects that make a real difference
Jeannett”s session takes place:
📅 14th May
⏲ 11:00 HST / 23:00 CEST
Registration is only open for buyers & investors. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gWjw4gmW

Livestock Data and Climate Finance Solutions Group Write-shop, Scotland
2024-05-21 - 2024-05-22 | Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, EDINBURGH
Jeannette will be in Edinburg, Scotland from 21-22 May for the write-shop.

Hybrid Discussion: Women’s Empowerment for Climate Action, The W+ Standard
2024-05-24 12:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | PwC London – Embankment, 1 Embankment Pl, London WC2N 6RH, Embankment, 1 Embankment Pl,, London, United Kingdom
Join us for a hybrid discussion on how the W+ Standard can provide solutions for gender-responsive climate goals through a market-based approach.
With Jeannette Gurung, Executive Director of WOCAN and Innovator of the W+ Standard – a certification framework that measures and monetizes women’s empowerment within climate and development projects.
The even is hosted by PwC and oragnized by Smita Biswas, Impact Lead of Green Cities and Infrastructure Programme.
Friday 24th May 2024 | 12:00 – 13:00pm
PwC London – Embankment, 1 Embankment Pl, London WC2N 6RH
For those joining virtually please use this Microsoft Teams Link
To confirm in-person attendance, please email abigail.o.miller@pwc.com

Climate Assessment Workshop for Farmer Organisations, Fiji
2024-06-03 - 2024-06-08
Jeannette will be one of the resource person for the Climate Assessment Workshop from 3-8 June, in Nadi, Fiji Islands. This workshop is organized by the Pacific Farmers Organization.

GEF Gender Partnership Workshop, Washington DC
2024-06-21 09:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | GEFSEC Office, 1899 Pennsylvania Ave.,, Washington DC, DC, United States
Jeannette is one of the panelists for a session during the GEF Gender Partnership at the sidelines of the June 2024 GEF Council and Agencies’ Retreat on June 21 in Washington DC.
Objectives

To discuss emerging issues and priority themes, including: i) broader social inclusion policies and practices: non-binary gender considerations; disability inclusion; gender-based violence; ii) going beyond the “beneficiary” concept to a more robust and substantive indicators for measuring advances on gender equality and better reflect the impact of the efforts on gender-responsive and gender-transformative programming.
To exchange views on strengthening the monitoring, reporting, and communication capacities of the members of the GGP.
To explore the establishment of a GGP Community of Practice in which Integrated Program teams and other members of the GGP can exchange knowledge, good practices and lessons learned on mainstreaming gender into environmental programming.

Program

Time
Session
Details
Panelist

09:00-09:30
Introductions and welcome

09:30-10:30
Session 1: Gender data, indicators, measuring impacts
Learning and exchange on gender data, indicators, and measuring impacts of gender-responsive and gender-transformative programming in environmental projects and program
· Jamie Wen – IUCN
· Sara Duarte – UN Women
· Ciara Daniels – UNDP
· Jeannete Gurung, WOCAN

10:30-11:30
Session 1.1: Discussion session
How to develop and use portfolio level indicators that go beyond measuring the number of beneficiaries.
Co-facilitated between CI and IUCN

11:30-12:00
Session 2: Communicating our impacts
Storytelling of successful case studies of gender mainstreaming in environmental programming
· Jamie Wen and Jackie Siles– IUCN
· Other GGP members´experiences

12:00-13:00
Luncheon Session: Exchange on the proposal to have a GGP Community of Practice
Sharing lessons learned and best practices from IP’s gender leads.
· IP Leaders

13:00-14:00
Session 3: Emerging issues and priority themes: Broader social inclusion policies and practices
Share strategies, policies and experiences on how to better integrate social inclusion into the environmental organizations
· Youth
· Disabilities
· LGTBIQ+

14:00-15:00
Session 4: Implementation challenges and best practices
Monitoring and reporting gender dimensions or results, strengthening and sustaining capacities on gender within the team.
· GGP members’ discussion
· IUCN/FAO – to share their work on or efforts in assessing project implementation challenges (from a gender perspective)
· UNIDO to share experiences on strengthening capacities on gender within their teams
· GEF Sec. to introduce a discussion on Monitoring and Reporting on gender-specific results

15:00-15:30
Discussion of Next Steps and Closing

GEF Gender Partnership Meeting: Washington DC
2024-06-21 09:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
GEF Gender Partnership at the sidelines of the June 2024 GEF Council and Agencies’ Retreat June 21 (Friday), 09:00 – 15:30 (EST, DC time)
Gustavo Fonseca Room, GEFSEC Office, 1899 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington DC
Objectives

To discuss emerging issues and priority themes, including: i) broader social inclusion policies and practices: non-binary gender considerations; disability inclusion; gender-based violence; ii) going beyond the “beneficiary” concept to a more robust and substantive indicators for measuring advances on gender equality and better reflect the impact of the efforts on gender-responsive and gender-transformative programming.
To exchange views on strengthening the monitoring, reporting, and communication capacities of the members of the GGP.
To explore the establishment of a GGP Community of Practice in which Integrated Program teams and other members of the GGP can exchange knowledge, good practices and lessons learned on mainstreaming gender into environmental programming.

Program Time

Session

Details

Panelist

09:00-09:30

Introductions and welcome

09:30-10:30

Session 1: Gender data, indicators, measuring impacts

Learning and exchange on gender data, indicators, and measuring impacts of gender-responsive and gender-transformative programming in environmental projects and program

Jamie Wen – IUCN
Sara Duarte – UN Women
Ciara Daniels – UNDP
Jeannette Gurung, WOCAN/W+Standard.

10:30-11:30

Session 1.1: Discussion session

How to develop and use portfolio level indicators that go beyond measuring the number of beneficiaries.

Co-facilitated between CI and IUCN

11:30-12:00

Session 2: Communicating our impacts

Storytelling of successful case studies of gender mainstreaming in environmental programming

Jamie Wen and Jackie Siles– IUCN
Other GGP members´experiences

12:00-13:00

Luncheon Session: Exchange on the proposal to have a GGP Community of Practice

Sharing lessons learned and best practices from IP’s gender leads.

IP Leaders

13:00-14:00

Session 3: Emerging issues and priority themes:

Share strategies, policies and experiences on how to better

Youth
Disabilities

Overview Webinar: Guidance document updates and the process to receive W+ Labels for VCUs
2024-07-10 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
WOCAN and Verra are seeking Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) registered projects interested in obtaining concurrent certification with the W+ Standard as well as those currently accredited in the W+ Standard and seeking to apply a (external) label to Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) generated by their project.
🌟 Key Highlights: 🌟
– VCS projects (including joint VCS and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) Program projects) meeting both Verra and W+ Standard requirements are eligible for W+ labeled VCUs.
– The W+ label signifies that a VCS project meets the W+ Standard, the only certification framework that quantifies, verifies, and monetizes women’s empowerment within projects and supply chains.
🗓️ Webinar Alert! 🗓️
Join us on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at 2:00pm ET for a webinar co-hosted by Verra and WOCAN. We’ll cover the updated label guidance and the process for acquiring W+ labels for VCUs. Register for the Webinar here https://lnkd.in/gdesDUpx
🌱 Optional Piloting Process 🌱
WOCAN is launching a piloting process for extra guidance on W+-labeling documentation. Details on how to join are on the W+ Standard website www.wplus.org
For questions about W+-labeled VCUs, contact the Verra team at programupdates@verra.org or the W+ Standard team at coordinator@wplus.org.

Webinar: Gender and Energy Nexus within Climate Blended Finance
2024-07-30 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
The Catalytic Climate Finance Facility will host a webinar on July 30th to equip attendees with the knowledge and tools to bridge the gap between gender, energy, and climate finance. This comprehensive webinar will achieve this by:
Providing a landscape view of the intersections between gender, energy, and climate finance.
Offering practicable and candid guidance for incorporating gender equality considerations into climate finance instruments, specifically targeting the gender & energy nexus.
Showcasing and amplifying successful examples of gender integration within climate-blended finance vehicles that target the energy sector.
FORMAT
This 90-minute webinar includes a presentation summarizing key findings from the Convergence and CPI report on the Gender and energy nexus within climate finance and practical advice on integrating gender considerations into climate finance instruments. Following this, a panel discussion will feature investors discussing their gender assessment approaches and monitoring, with examples from two case studies. The session will conclude with a 30-minute Q&A segment.
AGENDA
10:00 – Welcoming Remarks from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
10:05 – Report Findings: Gender and Energy Nexus within Climate Finance
10:20 – Practical Advice on Integrating Gender Considerations into Climate Finance
10:30 – Perspectives and Lessons from Investors & Practitioners on Gender in Climate Finance
11:00 – Q&A
Featured speakers:
– Arjan de Haan, Senior Program Specialist, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) (Opening remarks)
– Demetrio Innocenti, Climate Lead, 2X Global (Moderator)
– Anne-Marie Lévesque, Director, Impact Strategies & Thought Leadership, FinDev Canada
– Jeannette Gurung, Founder & Executive Director, Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN)
– Lasitha Perera, CEO, Green Guarantee Company
– Maud Savary-Mornet, Founder & CEO, BEYOND FINANCE CONSULTING LTD (Hong Kong)
Featured Presenters from Climate Policy Initiative: William Wallock, Nino M.
Featured Presenters from Convergence Blended Finance: Ayesha Bery, Robin Ivory
REGISTER

SCF Forum Session 8: Financing the Project Management Cycle of a Gender-Responsive Climate Project
2024-09-03 13:30 - 14:30 (Africa/Nairobi) | Arusha International Conference Centre, Tanzania, United Republic of
Jeannette is one of the panel speakers during the 2024 Forum of the Standing Committee on Finance in Tanzania. Her session is titled “Financing the project management cycle of a gender-responsive climate project: experience, best practices and lessons learned”. This plenary session will focus on country experience relating to ensuring impact and effectiveness across the lifecycle of a gender responsive climate project or program –including building readiness, assessing needs, preparing proposals, identifying and accessing sources of gender-responsive finance, and monitoring, evaluation, reporting and review processes.
The other panelists are:
Barbara Rambousek-Robertson, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (virtual, tbc)
Young Hee Lee, Adaptation Fund
Moderated by: Richard Muyungi, SCF member

Date: 3 September 2024
Time: 13:30–14:30

New York Climate Week 2024
2024-09-22 - 2024-09-26
Jeannette will be at the NY Climate Week from Sept. 22-26th, attending numerous events and speaking on sessions of the Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D), Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) and Natural Climate Solutions Alliance.
Do reach out to us if you are attending New York Climate Week events.

Resilience Hub: Regional Virtual Summit
2024-10-08 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London)
Unpacking the Resilience and Care Nexus: Why is it important?
Emerging evidence suggests that climate change and environmental degradation increase and intensify women’s and girls’ unpaid care, domestic, and communal work due in part to the increased frequency and intensity of extreme climate events and the reduced availability of natural resources such as food, fuel and water. Displacement and health impacts of climate change and environmental degradation also increase unpaid care work. Climate related disasters also reduce the supply of care services, as they disrupt infrastructure, transportation, and communication systems. Moreover, climate change and natural disasters exacerbate existing gender, economic and geopolitical inequalities and vulnerabilities in the care economy, as they more severely affect poor, rural, and marginalized groups. At the same time, women are leaders in climate action, many of their activities, such as composting, gardening, or caring for water and biodiversity, also imply community-centered care work which is also unpaid. Ironically, these increase time poverty. Care responsibilities curtail women’s participation in climate decision-making and limit opportunities for them to engage in green jobs fostered by the low-carbon transition. Investing in care systems can increase resilience to climate change.
Given the interdependence of the care and climate crises, it is increasingly evident that they need to be addressed together and that an integrated approach would accelerate progress on both fronts. A limited understanding and an incomplete knowledge base on the climate resilience and care connections diminishes the effectiveness of climate change adaptation strategies and neglects the opportunity to address inequality and the climate crisis at the same time.
Supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre, the Climate and Care Initiative seeks to integrate the agendas of care and climate action, demonstrating their interconnections, and learning and supporting concrete practices, including those advanced by ecofeminist movements and grassroots organizations. The initiative is led by a Consortium coordinated by the AVINA Foundation, with Oxfam Canada and UNRISD, and in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Care.
This session will unpack the care and climate intersections to strengthen climate resilience through recognizing and addressing the unequal distribution of care work. The session will also discuss how to integrate care into climate resilience policy and projects; highlighting the importance of care as a climate resilience measure. It will also share information on a new catalytic fund that will finance grassroot organizations that are implementing initiatives addressing the climate & care nexus in Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Time
Speaker/Facilitator
Agenda Items

14:00-14:10 (10 min)
Maria Gracia Aguilar, Coordinator at
Fundacion Avina
Welcome Introduction to the session’s agenda and objectives.

14:10-14:30
(20 min)
Moderator: Ana Moreno, Technical Secretary at Global Alliance for Care
Speakers:
· Francisco Cos Montiel, Senior Research Coordinator at UNRISD
· Ankita Panda, Senior Program Officer, Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality at The Asia Foundation
· Sonia Phalatse, Researcher of the Climate and Inequality programme at SCIS at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits)
Roundtable Q1: Why is it important to explore the intersection between climate resilience and care?

Moderator presents each speaker and the question.
Each speaker has 5 min to respond.

14:30-14:50
(20 min)
Moderator: Ana Moreno, Technical Secretary at Global Alliance for Care
Speakers:
– Anne Barre, Climate Action | Policy & Programmes Coordinator at WECF Violet Shivutse, Chair and Regional
– Representative for Africa at Huairou Commission (TBC)
– Jeannette Gurung, Executive Director at WOCAN (TBC)
– Luana Simoes Pinheiro, Director of Care Economy at Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger (TBC)
Roundtable Q2: How can we integrate care into climate resilience policy and
projects?

Moderator presents each speaker and the question.

Each speaker has 5 min to respond.

14:50-15:00
(10 min)
Erin Tansey, Director, Sustainable Inclusive
Economies at Canada’s International
Development Research Centre – IDRC
Conclusion
Conclusion on the panel and next steps on the Climate and Care Initiative.

Register Here

COP29: From Global to Local – Financing Sustainable Women-led Climate Solutions
2024-11-20 18:30 - 20:00 (Asia/Baku)
As the global climate crisis intensifies, the role of women in driving innovative, sustainable, and nature-based solutions has become increasingly vital. However, women-led climate initiatives often face significant barriers in accessing the necessary financial resources.
This panel will explore the nexus between women’s leadership environmental protection, conservation and climate interventions and outcomes, and discuss how initiatives can be better resourced, supported, and reflected in climate policy.
Panelists will also present an example of how an agroforestry/forest conservation project in Cote d’Ivoire promotes women’s leadership and benefits for women through local women’s groups, using the W+ Standard to quantify and monetize outcomes that provide sustained revenue to national and regional women’s organizations engaged in forest management in West and Central Africa.
Speakers: Vital Voices Network Women, Climate Leaders, Vital Voices Staff
Vital Voices Global Partnership
Ms. Marina Pisklakova-Parker
marinap@vitalvoices.org
Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN)
Ms. Jeannette Denholm
jeannettegurung@wocan.org

Nature’s Leading Women 2024
2024-12-01 - 2024-12-05
Jeannette will be attending the Nature’s Leading Women (NLW) 2024 which is a learning exchange hosted by the Nature Conservancy in Australia, bringing together over 60 exceptional women leaders in climate and conservation from across the globe.
The group will include women leaders in grassroots climate and conservation groups from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Kenya and Tanzania, joined by TNC staff working closely with these groups and leaders from across the organization.
The first part of the program is linked into the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial (APT11) at Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) supporting the KAWAKI Women’s Network. KAWAKI are a group of women in remote Solomon Islands who formed around the vision of connecting community, culture and conservation who have been commissioned to create an artwork in collaboration with Dreamcast Theatre as part of APT11. The group will also participate in an open-talking talanoa/yarning-style event as part of the APT11 Symposium hosted by QAGOMA where you will be invited to exchange knowledge around themes relating to conservation, art and culture.
This is an opportunity for women from around the world to connect, share and learn with each other as leaders in conservation and climate. Participants will return home with inspiration and experiences to share with their communities

[Webinar] Gender Inclusive Carbon Markets: Innovative Solutions for Women’s Participation and Benefits
2025-03-05 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Carbon markets offer significant opportunities for financing climate action in emerging markets, yet women face substantial barriers to participation. This webinar will examine how financial services and standardized approaches to measuring gender outcomes can create more inclusive carbon projects. Leading practitioners will share insights and practical examples of how innovative financing and impact measurement can drive greater inclusion while enhancing project value, including:

Sandeep Roy Choudhury, Co-Founder & Director, Value Network Ventures on implementing gender-responsive projects and developing financing models that enhance women’s participation.
Jeannette Gurung, Executive Director, WOCAN and Creator of the W+ Standard introducing their pioneering framework for measuring women’s empowerment in carbon projects and implementing effective benefit sharing mechanisms.
Haseeb Bakhtary, Lead Consultant, Climate Focus discussing the latest research on gender integration trends and impact measurement approaches.

For more information, and to register, visit https://worldbankgroup.zoom.us/meeting/register/_uj4j8bATN2wxNfnwvbkkw.

GCF Board Meeting in Songdo, Korea
2025-03-17 - 2025-03-21 | GCF, Korea, Republic of
Jeannette will be attending the GCF Board Meeting in Songdo, Korea, from 17-21 February.
Jeannette will be meeting up with GCF staff of three divisions interested in how WOCAN and the W+ Standard can enhance the Fund’s gender equality outcomes.

Beyond Carbon: Empowering Women, Financing Climate Adaptation
2025-09-22 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
For the first time, carbon projects are not only reducing emissions but also delivering verified, measurable benefits for women. This groundbreaking session highlights pioneering initiatives in India—solar water pumps of a women’s social enterprise and livelihood activities linked to a mangrove restoration project—that apply the W+ Standard to quantify women’s empowerment across time savings, knowledge, and income generation, alongside carbon reductions.
​Featuring Jeannette Gurung, Founder of WOCAN and the W+ Standard, alongside Sandeep Roy Choudhury the Co Founder & Director of Value Network Ventures and Elizabeth Munee Kiamba (Financial Sector Specialist at CGAP)
​Speakers will demonstrate how these projects generate new revenue streams through gender outcome credits while strengthening climate resilience and community well-being.
​Participants will learn how investors, corporates, and carbon buyers can engage with this next generation of high-impact carbon projects that put women at the center of climate action.
Register HERE

The Gender Dividend: Investing in Women for Climate Impact
2025-09-24 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
The Gender Dividend: How Outcomes-Based Finance Can Deliver Results for Women, Investors, and Climate
​Women’s empowerment is not just a social good—it’s a measurable driver of climate impact and financial returns.
​This fireside chat explores how outcomes-based finance is unlocking a new class of investable opportunities that deliver results for women, communities, and the planet. Featuring Jeannette Gurung, Founder of WOCAN and the W+ Standard, alongside Kavita Sinha, Head of the Green Climate Fund’s Private Sector Facility; Bruna Rezende, the CEO of a social asset company in Brazil, IRIADA and Dr. Ana Maria Loboguerrero (Director, Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems – The Gates Foundation).
​Speakers will share practical models—like gender outcome credits and investment vehicles—that align capital flows with gender equity and sustainability. Participants will gain insights into how investors, corporates, and carbon buyers can capture the “gender dividend” to scale transformative climate action.
Register HERE

Capacity Building on Integrating Coastal Blue Carbon Ecosystems into Climate Policies in the APEC Region
2025-10-15 08:00 - 2025-10-16 17:00 (Asia/Taipei)
Marianne Gilchrist, W+ expert and WOCAN Core Associate, will contribute a session on the W+ Standard and its application in gender-responsive climate action, highlighting how women’s empowerment can be integrated into blue carbon and climate policy frameworks.
The Ocean Affairs Council, in collaboration with the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER), is hosting a two-day APEC-funded workshop on October 15–16 in Taipei City. The workshop will convene stakeholders from across the APEC region for policy dialogue and on-site field visits, culminating in a set of policy recommendations to advance climate resilience and sustainable marine development.
This initiative supports APEC economies in advancing the Putrajaya Vision 2040 by enhancing capacity to incorporate coastal blue carbon ecosystems into climate strategies—such as economy-wide NDCs and adaptation plans—while fostering knowledge exchange on blue carbon pricing and sustainable development.

Making Social Impact Count: A Dialogue on Trade offs, Challenges and Opportunities
2026-06-24 16:00 - 18:00 (Europe/London)
Across global carbon markets, a significant gap persists between stated commitments to social impact and how procurement decisions are actually made. As scrutiny on corporate climate claims intensifies, buyers are being asked to demonstrate measurable value for communities, for workers, for women, not only tonnes. Yet procurement strategies rarely reflect this, and the market infrastructure to support it is still being built.
Jeannette Gurung and Sandeep Roy Choudhury (Co-founder & Director, VNV) will facilitate the closed door buyer-led dialogue, during the London Climate Action Week. They will explore how social impact, livelihoods, and gender inclusion can become real drivers, not afterthoughts, in carbon credit procurement.
