On February 8th, 2024, the EIB Group has initiated the Women Climate Leaders Network. This endeavor is a response to the pressing need to propel the green transition and fortify climate resilience.
The Women Climate Leaders Network meets the need for a strong, high-level participation. Its members will share knowledge and best practices for accelerating climate action, and work on new business models and ways to enable the low-carbon and green transformation. Distinguished female leaders from the private sector across all 27 EU Member States are uniting under this initiative to expedite efforts against climate change.
The network consists of 47 professionals representing diverse careers, sector expertise, ages, nationalities, and educational backgrounds from the 27 EU Member States. Its members include fund managers, heads of sustainability and environmental management, as well as CEOs and founders of venture capital funds. Leading the network are EIB Secretary-General Barbara Balke, EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt, and Director General of the EIB Projects Directorate Laura Piovesan.
The significance of women's leadership in devising and executing climate solutions is widely recognized. Numerous countries are incorporating gender equality into key sectors through their national climate action strategies. Nonetheless, the representation of women business leaders in this domain remains limited, despite EIB research indicating that firms led by women attain higher scores in environmental, climate, social, and governance criteria. To attain the objectives of the Paris Agreement and mitigate global warming effectively, greater involvement of women is essential, with active encouragement for their participation in leadership positions.
The EIB Group is dedicated to integrating gender equality, especially women's economic empowerment, into its business model and within its workplace. In 2023, the EIB financed a total of 63 projects worldwide, significantly advancing gender equality and women's economic empowerment. These projects amounted to 5.8 billion euros in investment, with more than half of the funding also supporting climate action.
"To ensure that the green transition is attainable for all, we must support affordable solutions that deliver competitiveness, climate action and social cohesion", said EIB President Nadia Calviño. "By joining forces with prominent women from the private sector, I am confident that the new Women Climate Leaders Network will provide fresh ideas and momentum for more transformational investment."
