Women and the Green Economy (WAGE)

Promoting Sustainability and Solutions to Climate Change

To accelerate and provide the new thinking and creative power for a global post-carbon economy, Earth Day Network is engaging women business, government and NGO leaders in its “Women and the Green Economy” (WAGE®) Campaign. WAGE® is working today to create a policy agenda for Rio+20 and generate relevant national initiatives that will promote the green economy, secure educational and job training opportunities for women and channel green investment to benefit women.

Launched at the UNFCCC 16th Conference of the Parties in Cancun, Mexico in December, 2010, the WAGE® Campaign is actively creating a road map for women to aggregate their power and promote their leadership in creating a sustainable green economy and mitigating climate change.

Earth Day Network created WAGE® in view of the following facts:

• Women constitute more than half of the world’s population
• Women make 85 percent of all consumer choices
• Women are rising to key positions of power
• Women can lead the way to a sustainable green economy

Together, our most talented and successful women can fast-forward the green economy.

From U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who created a new office for women at the State Department, to Dr. Amina Benkhadra, Morocco’s Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, to Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, women are leading key efforts in the climate and renewable energy discussion.

READ: Secretary Clinton: Global Economy Depends on Women

Why Green Is Your Color: A Woman's Guide to a Sustainable Career

From the U.S. Department of Labor

• PDF version
• HTML version

Ensuring women are prepared to succeed in a 21st century changing economy is critical to the financial stability of women, their families, and our country. Why Green Is Your Color: A Woman's Guide to a Sustainable Career is a comprehensive manual designed to assist women with job training and career development as they enter into innovative and nontraditional jobs. The guide also provides vulnerable women a pathway to higher paying jobs, and serves as a tool to help fight job segregation. It offers women resources and information they need to enter and succeed in jobs in the emerging green economy. The guide was created to help women at all stages of their careers — whether they are newly entering the workforce, transitioning to new careers, or returning to the workforce — identify and take advantage of opportunities in the clean energy economy. It will help training providers, educators, counselors, and other workforce development professionals promote the recruitment and retention of women in green career paths.

WAGE® News & Recent Events

WAGE Forum in Delhi: Feb. 1, 2012

Earth Day Network, in partnership with The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), hosted a day-long Women and the Green Economy (WAGE®) forum in Delhi, India, on February 1, 2012. The forum was held as a special event to the 12th annual Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, which brings together government, civil society and corporate leaders from around the globe. Fifty of the most influential women in business, media and civil society came together today to increase the participation and leadership of women in India and key countries of South Asia in the design and implementation of the post-carbon economy.

The goal of the forum is to begin developing a strong, cohesive set of policy proposals to achieve a green economy.  The proposals will be presented to the Government of India and to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Secretariat. They will then be disseminated to the United Nations, the U.N. Foundation, the U.S. and other state departments, as well as directly into the RIO+20 process, where Earth Day Network holds a seat on the Women’s Steering Committee for the Women’s Major Group.

Check out the press release here, and see the list of participants here.

Photo Courtesy of Clinton Global Initiative

Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting September 20-23: 2011

Kathleen Rogers moderated a session at CGI entited, Women as Agents in Driving Climate and Environmental Solutions.

CGI recognized that women play an increasingly significant role in propelling environmental protection and restoration efforts and combating climate change. The session explored best practices that engage women to confront climate and environmental issues, including technological and traditional solutions. Members discussed the role of women in restoration efforts, forestry, agricultural and agroforestry innovation, repair and maintenance of technologies, and leadership in technological innovation. Jane Madgwick, Chief Executive Officer of Wetlands International and Sarah Otterstrom and Executive Director, Paso Pacifico also participated in the panel.

At the Clinton Global Initiative, Earth Day Network was also recognized for its A Billion Act of Green® commitment. "The commitment was selected from a larger pool of member commitments as an exemplary approach to addressing challenges in Environment & Energy.” - CGI

Yang Lan presides over APEC Women and Economy Summit 2011

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): September 15, 2011

Kathleen Rogers spoke at the Women and the Economy Summit in San Francisco on the September 15 at the session: “The Future of Women and the Sustainable Economy.” APEC is made up of 21 Asia-Pacific member countries.  

"Women are key to all economies, are agents of economic growth, and can be mobilized to create greater economic good. This program will feature high-level policy leaders who will highlight the importance of furthering women’s participation in the economy as an economic growth strategy."
- APEC USA 2011

President of the Earth Day Network, Kathleen Rogers; Senior Vice President of Earth Day Network, Susan Bass; EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson; Actress and Activist Bo Derek.

WAGE® Award: May 3, 2011

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson was presented with the Women and the Green Economy 2011 Leadership Award by Earth Day Network for her leadership in bridging the environmental movement and the political and economic spheres of influence to lay the foundation for a green economy for all Americans.

Admired for her tenacity under fire and proven perseverance, Ms. Jackson accepted the award, emphasizing that “women have a special role to play….in taking care of the next generation.” Ms. Jackson continued, “Sometimes we have to remind people why the economy is green. Yes, it will break our dependence on foreign oil. . . but it will also keep us healthy…Tens of thousands of premature deaths avoided every year. Hundreds of thousands of cases of asthma and bronchitis avoided each and every year. Forty dollars of health benefits for every dollar we spend to protect our clean air. It’s really simple folks. It’s good economics and very, very good preventive medicine.”

Kathleen Rogers; USAID's Global Climate Change Coordinator, Kit Batten; Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero; Vice President, Greening is Universal/Sustainability at NBC Universal, Beth Colleton.

WAGE® at the State Department: April 26, 2011

Participants in the Earth Day Speaker Event "Women and the Green Economy" included: President of the Earth Day Network, Kathleen Rogers; USAID's Global Climate Change Coordinator, Kit Batten; Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero; Vice President, Greening is Universal/Sustainability at NBC Universal, Beth Colleton.

“Earth Day Network is thrilled that leaders around the world have chosen Earth Day as a time to focus their communities on how they can all benefit from growing a green economy, " said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network, "They realize that preserving the environment presents opportunities for innovation and investment that can grow new, high-quality jobs."

Marina Grossi, Executive President, Business Council for Sustainable Development of Brazil

WAGE® KICK OFF IN CANCUN MEXICO: December, 2010

At the World Climate Summit, over 800 hundred of the top business leaders from around the globe convened including Sir Richard Branson and Ted Turner. The WAGE® panel featured:

• Marina Grossi, Executive President, Business Council for Sustainable Development of Brazil
• Martha Duggan, Vice President, Government Relations, United Solar Ovonic; 2010 Chair, Solar Alliance; and Board Member, Coalition for Green Capital;
• Sarah Severn, Director of Horizons, Corporate Responsibility, Nike Inc.;
• Mari Snyder, Vice President, Social Responsibility & Community Engagement for Marriott International, Inc.;
• Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association
• Tania Esparza, Managing Director, Iniciativa México