The EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies programme, jointly implemented by UNEP and UN Women, addresses some of the most important yet often neglected challenges in the global climate and innovation agenda. By strengthening women's access to renewable energy, finance, technology, skills and decision-making, EmPower demonstrates how climate action can simultaneously advance gender equality, economic opportunities and resilience.
A stronger focus on flourishing lives for all on a flourishing planet can help bring these challenges from the margins to the centre of the global innovation ecosystem. Today, innovation investments are often driven by technological performance, commercial returns and emissions reductions, while fundamental human needs, particularly those of women and marginalized communities, receive insufficient attention. Moving from a primarily problem-driven agenda towards a human-needs-driven, solution-oriented approach can change what we innovate for, who participates in innovation, and how success is assessed.
Such a shift would position women not simply as vulnerable groups requiring protection, but as innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders developing solutions that benefit entire communities. It would also encourage governments, investors, research institutions and businesses to identify and scale innovations that simultaneously improve quality of life, strengthen resilience, expand economic opportunities and reduce environmental pressures.