Petro-patriarchy and the pope: Saudis, Vatican lead women’s rights backlash at COP29

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🗞️ Driving the news: COP29 negotiations in Baku face gridlock as Saudi Arabia, the Vatican, Russia, and Egypt block progress on integrating gender equality into climate policy discussions
• The European Union protested by walking out of the talks amid fears of regression on prior commitments

🔭 The context: Women and girls disproportionately bear the impacts of climate change, with 80% of displaced persons being female, according to the U.N.
• Efforts like the Lima work program aim to ensure gender considerations in climate policies but are at risk of termination without consensus
• Disputes over terminology, like "gender" versus "sex," and broader human rights concerns are derailing the talks
• Contrary to what was reported by Politico, the Vatican still has increasingly emphasized the moral imperative of addressing climate change and vulnerable populations, including women and girls.

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate change exacerbates existing gender inequalities, such as increasing forced marriages and health risks during pregnancy
• A failure to prioritize gender equality undermines comprehensive and just climate action, stalling progress on global ESG goals

⏭️ What's next: If the Lima work program cannot be renewed at COP29, its goals may hinge on negotiations at COP30 in Brazil
• The deadlock also threatens wider discussions on integrating human rights into climate finance and policy

💬 One quote: “These [countries] are trying to backtrack on existing language. They’re doing everything to derail the process,” - a Western negotiator

📈 One stat: 80% of people displaced by global warming are women and girls (U.N. estimate)

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