Empowering Women in leadership: Innovations, finance and inclusive transitions in clean energy

 

This high-level Fireside Chat & Panel Discussion, co-organized by the Gender and Energy Compact, will bring together prominent women leaders, C-suite executives, policy experts, and private sector representatives to discuss strategies for advancing women’s leadership in the renewable energy sector. The conversation will explore how to build stronger partnerships and networks to support women’s participation and advancement, with a focus on key topics such as leadership in energy transitions, the intersection of gender and finance, mentorship, and the need for inclusive solutions to address the structural and normative barriers that women face.

Background

Women’s underrepresentation at all levels of the renewable energy sector remains a critical barrier to achieving a just and inclusive energy transition. The 2025 SEforALL Global Forum presents a pivotal opportunity to advance gender-responsive climate and energy solutions, building on the success of  COP29 and the ten-year extension of the Enhanced Lima Programme of Work on Gender. This event will provide a platform to elevate and amplify women’s leadership, acknowledging their vital role in driving climate and energy solutions, innovation, and progress.

At COP29, the adoption of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance set an annual target of USD 300 billion, aiming to scale up to USD 1.3 trillion by 2035, with a focus on financing that benefits women and marginalized groups. However, the NCQG lacks clear, measurable targets and mechanisms to ensure effective fund allocation for gender-responsive climate action. Moving forward, it is essential to implement targeted efforts to ensure that climate finance meaningfully addresses the needs of women, girls, and marginalized communities. This includes robust accountability mechanisms, gender- and age-disaggregated data collection, and systematic analysis to track progress and impact. Without these measures, the transformative potential of gender-responsive climate finance will remain unrealized.

In parallel with the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) and the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+30), the SEforALL Forum is part of global efforts to drive gender equality across sectors. This event will connect leaders across regions, underscoring the importance of women’s full and equal participation in shaping sustainable energy solutions. Empowering women to be at the forefront of the renewable energy sector is key to driving change for global and national climate movements, with clear links between women’s leadership and more ambitious climate policies, stronger environmental actions, improved climate governance, and reduced carbon emissions.

This high-level Fireside Chat & Panel Discussion, co-organized with the Gender and Energy Compact, will bring together prominent women leaders, C-suite executives, policy experts, and private sector representatives to discuss strategies for advancing women’s leadership in the renewable energy sector. The conversation will explore how to build stronger partnerships and networks to support women’s participation and advancement, with a focus on key topics such as leadership in energy transitions, the intersection of gender and finance, mentorship, and the need for inclusive solutions to address the structural and normative barriers that women face.

Agenda

Context Setting
Ms. Sheila Oparaocha, Director of the ENERGIA Network

Keynote Address
Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Fireside Chat: Catalysing Change: Global Financing for Women’s Leadership in a Just & Inclusive Energy Transition
Ms. Ashley Lashley, CEO, The Ashley Lashley Foundation
Ms. Bola Adesola, Chair, Ecobank

Intergenerational Panel Discussion: Powering Progress: Women Shaping the Global Renewable
Energy Movement
– Ms. Ayu Abdullah, Co-Founder & Managing Director, COMET – Community Energy Toolkit
– Dr. Flaubert Mbiekop, Senior Program Specialist, Canadian International Development Research
Centre
– Ms. Racquel Moses, CEO, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
– Ms. Milena Megrè, Researcher, Observatório Latino-Americano da Geopolítica Energética
Moderated by: Dr. Fanny Missfeldt-Ringius, Practice Manager, ESMAP, World Bank

Closing Remarks
Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for SEforALL, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy