Download the compilation on Energy as a txt file (54 KB)

International Agreements on Energy
(with a particular focus on agreements related to gender issues)

Criteria for Compilations of International Agreements

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Article 4
Commitments 1(c), 8 (h), 10
http://www.unfccc.de/resource/conv/conv_006.html

Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Article 2
Para 1 (i, iv, viii,)
Article 10, Para b (i)
http://www.unfccc.de/resource/docs/convkp/kpeng.html

Agenda 21
Chapter 1. Preamble
Para 1.7.
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap1.htm

Agenda 21
Chapter 4. Changing Consumption Pattern
Para 4.2.
Para 4.10 (d)

Activities (a)
Para 4.18
Para 4.18 (d)
Para 4.24
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap4.htm

Women:
Means of implementation
4.27. This programme is concerned primarily with changes in unsustainable patterns of consumption and production and values that encourage sustainable consumption patterns and lifestyles. It requires the combined efforts of Governments, consumers and producers. Particular attention should be paid to the significant role played by women and households as consumers and the potential impacts of their combined purchasing power on the economy.

Agenda 21
Chapter 5. Demographic Dynamics and Sustainability
Programme Areas
A. Developing and disseminating knowledge concerning the links between demographic trends and factors and sustainable development
Basis for action
Para 5.3.
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap5.htm

Agenda 21
Chapter 7. Promoting Sustainable Human Settlement Development
I. Introduction
[chapters re urban development, infrastructure, containing sentences"…particularly women" not included]
Para 7.1., 7.24, 7.27, 7.40, 7.46, 7.47, 7.48, 7.49, 7.50
7.51.a(i, ii, iv), b(i,ii)
7.52 (f)
7.54 (a,c)
7.69 (c)
7.70 (b)
7.75
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap7.htm

Agenda 21
Section II. Conservation and Management of Resources for Development

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap9.htm

Agenda 21
Chapter 12. Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Combating Desertification and Drought

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap12.htm

Agenda 21
Chapter 14. Promoting Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development
K. Rural energy transition to enhance productivity

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap14.htm

Agenda 21
Chapter 21. Environmentally Sound Management of Solid Wastes and Sewage-Related Issues

(a) Management-related activities
21.19. Governments and institutions and non-governmental organizations, including consumer, women's and youth groups, in collaboration with appropriate organizations of the United Nations system, should launch programmes to demonstrate and make operational enhanced waste reuse and recycling. These programmes should, wherever possible, build upon existing or planned activities and should: […]

(d) Encouraging non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations and women's, youth and public interest group programmes, in collaboration with local municipal authorities, to mobilize community support for waste reuse and recycling through focused community-level campaigns.

(c) Launch campaigns to encourage active community participation involving women's and youth groups in the management of waste, particularly household waste;

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap21.htm

Agenda 21
Chapter 30. Strengthening the Role of Business and Industry

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap30.htm

Agenda 21
Chapter 32. Strengthening the Role of Farmers *
Programme Area
Objectives

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap32.htm

women:

Agenda 21
Chapter 35. Science for Sustainable Development
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ag21chap35.htm

35.10. In order to promote sustainable development, more extensive knowledge is required of the Earth's carrying capacity, including the processes that could either impair or enhance its ability to support life. The global environment is changing more rapidly than at any time in recent centuries; as a result, surprises may be expected, and the next century could see significant environmental changes. At the same time, the human consumption of energy, water and non-renewable resources is increasing, on both a total and a per capita basis, and shortages may ensue in many parts of the world even if environmental conditions were to remain unchanged. Social processes are subject to multiple variations across time and space, regions and culture. They both affect and are influenced by changing environmental conditions. Human factors are key driving forces in these intricate sets of relationships and exert their influence directly on global change. Therefore, study of the human dimensions of the causes and consequences of environmental change and of more sustainable development paths is essential.

35.17. The following activities should be undertaken:

(a) Coordinate existing data- and statistics-gathering systems relevant to developmental and environmental issues so as to support preparation of long-term scientific assessments - for example, data on resource depletion, import/export flows, energy use, health impacts and demographic trends; apply the data obtained through the activities identified in programme area B to environment/development assessments at the global, regional and local levels; and promote the wide distribution of the assessments in a form that is responsive to public needs and can be widely understood;

35.21. The primary objective is to improve the scientific capacities of all countries - in particular, those of developing countries - with specific regard to:

(b) A substantial increase by the year 2000 in the number of scientists - particularly women scientists - in those developing countries where their number is at present insufficient;

(b) Enhancing national, regional and global capacities for carrying out scientific research and applying scientific and technological information to environmentally sound and sustainable development. This includes a need to increase financial resources for global and regional scientific and technological information networks, as may be appropriate, so that they will be able to function effectively and efficiently in satisfying the scientific needs of developing countries. Ensure the capacity-building of women by recruiting more women in research and research training.

Earth Summit II
Chapter 2. Assessment of Progress Made Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 4/, 5/

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ES2chap2.htm

Earth Summit II

Para 28 (f)

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ES2chap3a.htm

Earth Summit II
Chapter 4. International Institutional Arrangement
Para 135
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/ES2chap4.htm

The Earth Summit 1992: The Forest Principles
Non-Legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/earth%20forest.htm

International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
Chapter 3 : Interrelationships between Population, Sustained Economic Growth and Sustainable Development
A. Integrating population and development strategies
Basis for action

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/population6.htm

International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
Chapter 9 : Population Distribution, Urbanization and Internal Migration
B. Population growth in large urban agglomerations

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/population12.htm

3rd World Conference on Women, Nairobi 1985
The Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/narirobi.htm#II.%20Deverlopment

174. Women, as key food producers in many regions of the world, play a central role in the development and production of food and agriculture, participating actively in all phases of the production cycle, including the conservation, storage, processing and marketing of food and agricultural products. Women therefore make a vital contribution to economic development, particularly in agriculturally based economies, which must be better recognized and rewarded. Development strategies and programmes, as well as incentive programmes and projects in the field of food and agriculture, need to be designed in a manner that fully integrates women at all levels of planning, implementation, monitoring evaluation in all stages of the development process of a project cycle, so as to facilitate and enhance this key role of women and to ensure that women receive proper benefits and remuneration commensurate with their important contribution in this field. Moreover, women should be fully integrated and involved in the technological research and energy aspects of food and agricultural development.

176. Governments should establish multisectoral programmes to promote the productive capacity of rural poor women in food and animal production, create off-farm employment opportunities, reduce their work-load, inter alia, by supporting the establishment of adequate child-care facilities and that of their children, reverse their pauperization, improve their access to all sources of energy, and provide them with adequate water, health, education, effective extension services and transportation within their region. In this connection it should be noted that the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, held at Rome in 1979, 12/ recognized women's vital role in the socio-economic life in both agricultural and non-agricultural activities as a prerequisite for successful rural development policies, planning and programmes, and proposed specific measures for improving their condition, which are still valid. The Programme of Action for the Second Half of the United Nations Decade for Women also included specific measures to improve the situation of women in food and agriculture, which remain a valid guide for action.

184. Appropriate food-processing technologies can free women from time- and energy-consuming tasks and thus effect improvements in their health. Appropriate technologies can also increase the productivity and income of women, either directly or by freeing them to engage in other activities. Such technologies should be designed and introduced, however, in a manner that ensures women's access to the new technology and to its benefits and does not displace women from means of livelihood when alternative opportunities are not available. Appropriate labour-saving technologies should utilize local human and material resources and inexpensive sources of energy. The design, testing and dissemination of the technology should be appropriate also to the women who will be the users. Non-governmental organizations can play a valuable role in this process. Appropriate and affordable food-processing technologies should be made widely available to rural women, along with appropriate and affordable storage, marketing and transportation facilities to reduce post-harvest and income losses. Information on improved methods which have been ecologically confirmed of reducing post-harvest food loss and of preserving and conserving food products should be widely disseminated.

189. The problems related to the industrial development of the developing countries reflect the dependent nature of their economies and the need to promote transformation industries based on domestic agricultural production as a fundamental issue of development. Women are an important part of the agricultural work-forces therefore, there should be special interest in the promotion of the technical training of women in this particular field. In this respect, Governments should take into account the following recommendations:

(a) There should be a link between agriculture and industry;

(b) Steps should be taken to eliminate the particular obstacles to industrialization and to the participation of women in industry, such as energy, the limited markets of some developing countries, the rural exodus, poor infrastructure, a lack of technical know-how, the dependence of the industries of some countries and a lack of financial resources;

218. Measures developed to rationalize energy consumption and to improve energy systems, especially of hydrocarbons, and to increase technical training should be formulated with a view to women as producers, users and managers of energy sources.

219. In conventional and non-conventional national energy programmes, women should be integrated as contributors and beneficiaries with a view to their needs, as determined by specific socio-cultural factors at local and national levels and in both rural and urban contexts. Assessment of new energy sources, energy technologies and energy-delivery systems should specifically consider the reduction of the drudgery that constitutes a large part of the work of poor urban and rural women.

220. The grass-roots participation of women in energy-needs assessment, technology and energy conservation, management and maintenance efforts should be supported.

221. Priority should be given to substituting energy for muscle in the performance of the industrial and domestic work of women without loss of their jobs and tasks to men. In view of the high percentage of domestic use in total energy consumption in low-income countries, the implications of increasing energy costs, and the current threats posed by inflation, immediate attention should be directed towards action concerning adapted technologies, fuel conservation and improved or new sources of energy, such as biomass, solar and wind energy, geothermal and nuclear energy, as well as mini-hydroelectric power plants. Improved stoves should be designed and disseminated to reduce the drudgery involved in the collection of fuel by women.

222. In order to prevent depletion of the forest areas on which most rural women rely for much of their energy needs and income, innovative programmes, such as farm woodlot development, should be initiated with the involvement of both women and men. In the commercialization of fuelwood energy, measures should be taken to avoid the loss of women's income to middlemen and urban industries. Development of fuelwood plantations, diffusion of fast-growing varieties of trees and technologies for more efficient production of charcoal should be accelerated with a view to poor rural and urban women being the major beneficiaries. The use of solar energy and biogas should be promoted with due regard to affordability, as well as to use and management by women who are the principal consumers.

223. The involvement of women at all levels of decision-making and implementation of energy-related decisions including peaceful use of nuclear energy should be enhanced. Special efforts should be made by Governments and non-governmental organizations to provide women and women's organizations with information on all sources and uses of energy, including nuclear energy. Special incentives should be provided to enable women to obtain advanced levels of education and training in all energy-related areas in order to expand their participation in decision-making relating to the application of nuclear technology for peaceful uses especially in high priority development areas of water, health, energy, food production and nutrition. To achieve these goals, increased opportunities and encouragement should be given to women to study science, mathematics and engineering at the university level and for girls to study mathematics and science at the pre-university level.

The Fourth World Conference on Women
Chapter 1. Resolution 1. Annex II - The Beijing Platform for Action
IV. Strategic Objectives and Actions

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/FWCWchap1k.htm

particularly the following chapters:

Integrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for sustainable development Actions to be taken
256. By Governments:
(a) Integrate women, including indigenous women, their perspectives and knowledge, on an equal basis with men, in decision-making regarding sustainable resource management and the development of policies and programmes for sustainable development, including in particular those designed to address and prevent environmental degradation of the land;
(b) Evaluate policies and programmes in terms of environmental impact and women's equal access to and use of natural resources;
(c) Ensure adequate research to assess how and to what extent women are particularly susceptible or exposed to environmental degradation and hazards, including, as necessary, research and data collection on specific groups of women, particularly women with low income, indigenous women and women belonging to minorities;
(d) Integrate rural women's traditional knowledge and practices of sustainable resource use and management in the development of environmental management and extension programmes;
(e) Integrate the results of gender-sensitive research into mainstream policies with a view to developing sustainable human settlements;
(f) Promote knowledge of and sponsor research on the role of women, particularly rural and indigenous women, in food gathering and production, soil conservation, irrigation, watershed management, sanitation, coastal zone and marine resource management, integrated pest management, land-use planning, forest conservation and community forestry, fisheries, natural disaster prevention, and new and renewable sources of energy, focusing particularly on indigenous women's knowledge and experience;
(k) Support the development of women's equal access to housing infrastructure, safe water, and sustainable and affordable energy technologies, such as wind, solar, biomass and other renewable sources, through participatory needs assessments, energy planning and policy formulation at the local and national levels

Strengthen or establish mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels to assess the impact of development and environmental policies on women Actions to be taken
258. By Governments, regional and international organizations and non-governmental organizations, as appropriate:
(c) Ensure the full compliance with relevant international obligations, including where relevant, the Basel Convention and other conventions relating to the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes (which include toxic wastes) and the Code of Practice of the International Atomic Energy Agency relating to the movement of radioactive waste; enact and enforce regulations for environmentally sound management related to safe storage and movements; consider taking action towards the prohibition of those movements that are unsafe and insecure; ensure the strict control and management of hazardous wastes and radioactive waste, in accordance with relevant international and regional obligations and eliminate the exportation of such wastes to countries that, individually or through international agreements, prohibit their importation;

Habitat II Conference
I - Preamble

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20I%20preamble.htm

Habitat II Conference
IV Global Plan of Action
B. Adequate Shelter for All
3. Shelter delivery systems

(b) Encourage public participation in assessing real user needs, especially gender needs, as an integrated action of the planning and design process; ]

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20B%203.htm

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20C%202.htm

women:
Actions: Chapter 113
(l) Institutionalize a participatory approach to sustainable human settlements through the development and support of strategies and mechanisms that encourage open and inclusive dialogue among all interested parties, with special attention to the needs and priorities of women, minorities, children, youth, people with disabilities, older persons and persons living in poverty and exclusion;

Habitat II Conference
IV Global Plan of Action
C. Sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world
5. Environmentally sustainable, healthy and liveable human settlements

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20C%205.htm

Habitat II Conference
IV Global Plan of Action
C. Sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20C%206.htm

[Habitat II Conference]
IV Global Plan of Action
C. Sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world
7. Sustainable transport and communication systems

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20C%207.htm

Habitat II Conference
IV Global Plan of Action
C. Sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world
9. Improving urban economies

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20C%209.htm

Habitat II Conference
IV Global Plan of Action
C. Sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20C.htm

Habitat II Conference
IV Global Plan of Action
D. Capacity-building and institutional development
5. Metropolitan planning and management

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20D%205.htm

Habitat II Conference
IV Global Plan of Action
F. Implementation and follow-up of the Habitat Agenda
5. Performance evaluation, indicators and best practices

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-conf/hab%202%20IV%20F%205.htm

Habitat II Conference
III Commitments
A. Adequate shelter for all

women:

Promoting, as appropriate, socially integrated and accessible human settlements, including appropriate facilities for health and education, combating segregation and discriminatory and other exclusionary policies and practices, and recognizing and respecting the rights of all, especially of women, children, persons with disabilities, people living in poverty and those belonging to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups;

Developing and evaluating policies and programmes to reduce the undesired adverse effects and improve the positive impact of structural adjustment and economic transition on sustainable human settlements development, especially on those belonging to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, and women, inter alia, through reviewing the impact of structural adjustment on social development by means of gender-sensitive social impact assessments and other relevant methods;

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/otherun/ccdtext.htm#Article%2019.%20Capacity%20building,%20education%20and%20public%20awareness

Commissions

CSD 1996
Report on the Fourth Session
Decision 4/10. Transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd1996.htm#Decision%204/10

Decision 4/13. Changing production and consumption patterns*

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd1996.htm#Decision%204/13

Decision 4/15. Protection of the atmosphere and protection of the oceans and all kinds of seas*
B. Protection of the atmosphere

E. Energy resources

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd1996.htm#Decision%204/15

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd1996.htm#Chapter%20II

E/CN.17/1996/20 7 Sustainable development of coastal areas, tourism, energy resources, air transport, maritime transport, telecommunications, and management of natural and environmental disasters in small island developing States: report of the Secretary-General
E/CN.17/1996/20/Add.2 7 Sustainable development of energy resources in small island developing States: report of the Secretary- General

Funding and Operation:
In cooperation with national counterparts, INSTRAW has adopted participatory and self-reliant techniques in applying the innovative training package. Three national training seminars (Dominican Republic, Egypt and Tanzania), one sub-regional workshop for the Mediterranean region (former Yugoslavia-Slovenia) and Arabic-speaking African countries (Libya) and one regional training seminar for Africa (Ethiopia, ECA headquarters) were conducted between 1989 to 1991.
http://www.un.org/documents/ecosoc/cn17/1997/ecn171997-7.htm

CSD 1997
Critical issues and policies for sustainable development: energy, transport and water
Report of the High-level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development for the 1997 review of the Rio commitments
Addendum
A FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION
A. Making use of democracy
23. Sustainable development requires that greater use be made of the skills and knowledge possessed by women; the empowerment and mobilization of women must be promoted as a requisite for positive change. Reducing poverty means dealing with women's issues as a priority, including the implementation of the recommendations of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 4-15 September 1995). Those recommendations should be reviewed and realistic targets established.
http://www.un.org/documents/ecosoc/cn17/1997/ecn171997-17add1.htm

CSD 1998
Decision 6/1. Strategic approaches to freshwater management

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd1998.htm#Decision%206/1

3. Industry and Sustainable Development

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd1998.htm#Chapter%20III

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd1999.htm#Chapter%20VIII

5. The Commission on Sustainable Development reaffirms that poverty eradication and changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns remain the overriding issues of the Commissions's work programme. These two issues are to be integrated, as appropriate, into the future themes of the work programme, in particular highlighting the linkages with agriculture, financial resources, trade and investment in 2000, and energy and transport in 2001. In this regard, consideration should be given to developments in other relevant international organizations and intergovernmental bodies. The two overriding issues should also be given due regard at the comprehensive review at the Commission's tenth session in 2002 in preparation for the 10-year review of progress made since UNCED.
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd1999.htm#Decision%207/2

http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/Women/un-doku/un-comm/csd/csd2000sard.htm