Inclusive Climate Action: Advancing Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Perspectives into Bosnia and Herzegovina Energy's Transition

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) faces some of the highest air pollution levels in Europe, with ~3,300 premature deaths annually linked to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), costing over 20% of GDP. Energy poverty is widespread and gendered, forcing many Roma, rural, and female-headed and elderly households to rely on coal, wood, or waste for heating. Governance remains fragmented and highly technical, with weak integration of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). BiH’s climate responsibilities are split across state, entity, cantonal and municipal levels. Efforts to harmonise planning (through the National Energy and Climate Plan, entity energy plans and local SECAPs) are undermined by weak inter-ministerial coordination, siloed data, and limited capacity. This creates duplication, slows inclusive climate action, and hampers the integration of gender and social dimensions. As a result, women, youth, youth with disability, elderly people, Roma, and persons with disabilities carry the heaviest burdens of climate change, air pollution, and energy poverty, while being largely excluded from decision-making. This Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) study was conducted in BiH through People in Need (PIN) internal funds to identify how climate change, air pollution, and energy poverty affect different population groups, and examine the barriers, opportunities, and pathways for embedding gender equality and social inclusion into climate, energy, and environmental policies and practices. The study provides recommendations to embed GESI into climate, energy, and environmental policies and initiatives. The findings will also guide PIN’s current and future projects, ensuring interventions are inclusive and responsive to women, elderly people, Roma, youth, youth with disability, and other persons with disabilities. Grounded in both community voices and policy analysis, the study strengthens PIN’s capacity to address structural barriers, reduce inequalities, and inform advocacy, making it a practical tool for shaping programmes, influencing policy, and contributing to systemic change in BiH.