An overview of the European policy and funding landscape
The climate crisis intensifies existing global inequalities, with women and marginalized groups often bearing the brunt of climate impacts. Limited access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) worsens these vulnerabilities, as it hampers individuals’ ability to adapt to climate changes and reduces resilience against climate-driven social and economic stresses.
A recent analysis of European policies shows that although all 13 EU member states and institutions prioritize both SRHR and climate action, only six donors—Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, and the UK—specifically recognize the interconnection between SRHR and climate resilience. Among 78 policies examined over the last decade, just 11 explicitly link these two areas. Where they do intersect, the focus is often on how climate change threatens SRHR access or on the potential of SRHR to support climate adaptation efforts.
European funding similarly reveals limited investment in integrated SRHR and climate projects. While European donors spent 19.5 billion Euros on climate action and 8.5 billion on SRHR between 2020-2022, only 75 million Euros specifically targeted both. However, when considering multi-sector projects with indirect links between SRHR and climate resilience, funding increases tenfold. UN agencies and other multilateral organizations are the primary funding channels, followed by various organizations and initiatives.
The report by Countdown 2030 Europe calls on European donors to align policies, increase funding, improve transparency, conduct further research, and build the capacity of their ministers and support partner countries. By addressing SRHR within climate strategies, European donors can create a more inclusive and resilient approach to the climate crisis.
