Cultivating Climate and Gender Justice with Men and Boys: Policy Brief

What is this resource?

The gendered nature of the climate crisis remains under-recognised within policymaking. When it is, it is usually framed as something that happens to women. Far less attention goes to its root causes: patriarchal ideas about masculinity.

To address this gap, this policy brief provides an accessible overview of research on the relationship between men, masculinities and the climate crisis – and how to engage men and boys in fostering gender and environmental justice. It seeks to make this research easily translatable into policy change. It is therefore particularly aimed at policymakers at international, national and local levels, but should also be useful for practitioners, activists, and researchers. It begins with a concise executive summary and 10 overarching policy recommendations particularly aimed at states.

Authors

Dr Stephen R Burrell (he/​​him) is a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Melbourne (Australia), and an Honorary Fellow at Durham University (UK). His research focuses on men, masculinities, and violence – especially the prevention of gender-based violence and harms against the planet. He is a member of MenEngage’s Climate Justice Working Group, and co-hosts a podcast called Now and Men: Changing Masculinities, Challenging Norms (www​.nowand​men​.net).

Hanna Gunnarsson (she/​​her) is a gender expert. Hanna has more than 10 years advocacy and campaigning experience on gender equality and human rights issues. She works with an intersectional feminist approach around the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Paris Agreement, and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, mobilising feminists and allies in WECF​’s network. Hanna provides capacity strengthening and facilitates meaningful participation of partners in regional and global decision-making processes. 

Publishers

Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF International – www​.wecf​.org is a non-profit ecofeminist organisation working towards a just and healthy world for all. Founded by women in the lead-up to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, WECF has more than 30 years of experience strengthening ecofeminist organisations in Europe and around the world. Its mission is to serve as a bridge: from local to global, from policy to reality, and from paper to practice. Together with its 250 partners in over 50 countries. WECF works on gender and rights, climate and energy, and toxic-free and health through action, advocacy and awareness.

The MenEngage Global Alliance (www​.menen​gage​.org) is the world’s largest collective for calling men and boys into the work of women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, climate and gender justice for all, while supporting men and boys to break free of stereotypes of what it means to be a man. Together, we are 1,000+ groups in 90+ countries coming together around shared values and standards for how to work with men and boys for gender equality. 

The MenEngage Climate Justice Working Group was formalised in 2021 through collective dialogue among grassroots activists, scholars, and practitioners committed to addressing the gendered dimensions of environmental destruction and climate breakdown. This member-led group has regional representatives from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, South Asia, North America, the Middle East and Oceania.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the Earth for sustaining us. Thank you to the animals that live with us, and the plants that heal us. Thank you to all of the people who provided their insightful expertise and feedback in the development of this policy brief: Muhammad Khurram (MenEngage), Sohanur Rahman (YouthNet Global), Kayinga Muddu (COTFONE), Vidar Vetterfalk (MÄN), Tom Hornbrook (MenEngage), Prof Bob Pease, and all members of the MenEngage Climate Justice Working Group. 

Lastly, a special thank you to the MenEngage Youth Reference Group (YRG) for their support in developing the visual feel and direction of this policy brief. Thank you to Šejla Bratić for designing it.

This report was written on the traditional, stolen, and unceded territories of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation; and, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present, and future.

Suggested citation:

Burrell, S. R. & Gunnarsson, H. (2026). Cultivating climate and gender justice with men and boys: Policy brief. WECF International & MenEngage Alliance.

This policy brief was co-funded by the European Union through WomenPower2030: Feminist Accelerate Action for Sustainable Development. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission.