The impact of climate action extends far beyond reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Mitigation Action Facility projects show how climate mitigation delivers tangible social benefits, with more than 59 co-benefits in 2025—ranging from expanded opportunities for women in green sectors to improved public health outcomes. Across countries, these projects show that cutting emissions can also improve people’s lives.
Creating jobs and economic opportunities
Investment in low-carbon technologies and infrastructure can generate new employment opportunities for local communities and prepare workers for the green transition.
In Rwanda, the E-mobility project supports the rollout of electric motorcycle taxis and buses, which is creating new green jobs. The shift to e-mobility is opening opportunities across the value chain, from vehicle assembly and maintenance to battery management and charging infrastructure. To help ensure these opportunities are accessible to all, the project conducted targeted consultations with women e-moto operators in October 2025, providing deeper insight into the specific barriers they face, including cultural norms, challenges in obtaining a driver’s license, as well as safety and harassment concerns. The project is now developing a gender-responsive training model and targeted recruitment pathways.
Improving public health and raising awareness
One of the most immediate and tangible social co-benefits of climate action is improved public health. By reducing air pollution and exposure to toxic fuels, mitigation projects can significantly improve living conditions, particularly for vulnerable populations.
The Guatemala – Cookstoves project promotes the adoption of sustainable cookstoves. Traditional cooking methods often expose households, particularly women and children, to dangerous indoor air pollution. Cleaner, more efficient cookstoves reduce smoke exposure, lowering the risk of respiratory illnesses while cutting emissions. The result is a dual benefit: healthier families and a reduced environmental footprint.
In parallel, the project developed environmental education guides for schools, covering topics such as climate change, natural resource management, and energy efficiency. A total of 4,218 people, including teachers, students, and parents, were trained. Community engagement was further reinforced through mural activities in two schools, involving 116 participants, among them teachers, students, and community leaders.
Greater social inclusion
Climate action can play a critical role in advancing social inclusion by empowering underrepresented groups in sectors where they have traditionally been excluded. By integrating gender equality into project design, mitigation projects can help ensure that the green transition is both fair and inclusive.
The Cabo Verde – Electric Vehicles project promotes gender inclusion in the transport and energy sectors by combining awareness-raising with targeted professional development opportunities. Last March, the project partnered with the University of Cabo Verde to host an interactive film debate aimed at inspiring female students to pursue careers in STEM. Participants explored technical career pathways, shared experiences, and engaged in discussions on gender equality in sustainable mobility.
Improving comfort and living standards
Climate mitigation measures in the buildings sector can have a profound impact on everyday life. Energy-efficient housing not only reduces emissions but also improves comfort, lowers energy bills, and enhances overall well-being.
In Mongolia, the Mitigation Action Facility is supporting energy performance retrofitting of residential buildings for low-income households. In a country where extreme temperatures make heating essential, improved insulation and energy systems can significantly enhance indoor comfort while reducing costs – delivering tangible benefits for both households and the climate.
These examples highlight how climate mitigation, when designed with people in mind, can deliver lasting social co-benefits. This makes the transition not only greener, but also fairer and more inclusive.
Climate mitigation that delivers for people, economies and the planet
Across its portfolio, the Mitigation Action Facility supports climate mitigation projects that go beyond emissions reductions, delivering tangible environmental, economic, social, and political and institutional co-benefits. These impacts are captured under Output Indicator 5.1, which tracks how projects contribute to broader sustainable development outcomes.
– In 2025, projects reported 19 additional co-benefits, bringing the cumulative total to 152, a 15% increase compared to 2024.
– The majority of projects (17 out of 25) met or exceeded their co-benefit targets, with several significantly overachieving.
– Lower performance is mainly observed in early-stage projects, where co-benefits are expected to materialise in later implementation phases.
Together, these results highlight how climate mitigation, across all four dimensions, can deliver meaningful benefits for people, economies, and the environment.
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