The paper offers guidance for those considering funding or designing interventions targeting women climate entrepreneurs and WSME-responsive climate initiatives by addressing the following questions: Why is it important to focus on women climate entrepreneurs? Where are areas of opportunity for women climate entrepreneurs and implementing partner support—including sectors that are emerging as critical to a low-carbon economy? What actions, initiatives, and efforts are happening now? Who are the key players? Where are the challenges? Ramping up an integrated focus on WSMEs and climate is critical, given that gender equality is considered a primary objective in less than 1 percent of climateoriented official development assistance (ODA) provided by governments for economic development in emerging markets and fragile economies.

First, the paper highlights the need for a gender-differentiated approach to climate action in general. It then discusses the importance of prioritizing the needs of women climate entrepreneurs, with insights on green and blue sectors. The next section details the state of play: organizations that are supporting gender-responsive climate action and those focused on the nexus of women’s entrepreneurship and climate along with a report on the status of financing for such initiatives. It concludes with recommended courses of action for development organizations, impact investors and other partners to take as they consider new projects and initiatives.