Women are central to global and national efforts to cope with climate change, concludes a new report, “The State of World Population 2009,” released today by the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA.

Climate change is more than an issue of energy efficiency or industrial carbon emissions; it is also an issue of population dynamics, poverty and gender equity, the report points out. The authors predict that the fight against climate change is more likely to be successful if policies, programs and treaties take into account the needs, rights and potentials of women.

“Poor women in poor countries are among the hardest hit by climate change, even though they contributed the least to it,” says UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.

“This report shows that women have the power to mobilize against climate change, but this potential can be realized only through policies that empower them. It also shows the required support that would allow women to fully contribute to adaptation, mitigation and building resilience to climate change,” Obaid says.

A key aspect of that support is to “integrate gender considerations into global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change,” the report states.

With a current world population of about 6.79 billion, and a prediction of about 9.3 billion by 2050, planning for the mitigation of global warming must take into account the fact that each of those people is responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases.