The roundtable, hosted by WOCAN in partnership with CGAP, addressed the intersection of gender outcomes and integrity in voluntary carbon markets. The central message: gender considerations are not optional, tick-box co-benefits. They are core risk-management drivers that ensure long-term project permanence, governance and integrity.

Speakers

• Jeannette Gurung, WOCAN
• Max Mattern, CGAP
• Sandeep Choudhury, VNV
• Anne Vaughan, CARE International
• Ashish Kumar, VCM Plus Coalition / Mati Carbon
• Felicity Bush, Rainbow Standard / Women in Carbon
• Tanushree Bagh, WOCAN (moderator)

What we heard

Gender isn't a tick-box co-benefit. It's fundamental to carbon market integrity.
Our New York Climate Week roundtable brought together voices from across the carbon market to explore how meaningful gender inclusion can strengthen project permanence, reduce risk and improve outcomes for communities.

Projects are stronger when women are meaningfully involved.
The discussion highlighted that women are often central to community participation and on-the-ground implementation, yet their involvement can be overlooked or reduced to basic consultation. Meaningful engagement — including with women and youth — can build the trust, stewardship and social cohesion that projects need to last.

Better measurement and financing are essential.
Baseline studies, monitoring and evaluation, and community consultation are often among the first things cut from project budgets. Yet these are precisely the investments needed to understand gender outcomes, identify risks and build high-integrity projects.

Gender can help change how risk is understood and priced.
Rather than treating gender as an additional premium or separate market, panelists explored how stronger gender integration can reduce delivery and operational risks — creating more robust projects and potentially improving their financial models.

The market is moving towards stronger standards and policy.
High-integrity buyers are increasingly interested in verifiable gender-inclusive credits, while speakers highlighted the need for gender standards to become part of wider carbon market frameworks, including Article 6 readiness and national carbon market strategies.

A new step for women in carbon markets

The roundtable also marked the announcement of the Alliance for Women Empowerment in Carbon Markets (AWEcm) — an initiative to strengthen women-led leadership, support policy change and share best practices across the carbon ecosystem.

Read the full NYCW 2026 takeaways. →

‍Explore the discussion in more detail, including insights from our speakers and the actions we’re calling for.

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