Louder, Bolder and Stronger

I am no COP veteran but in the few I have been to over these past years, I have become accustomed to the waves of emotion that accompany the journey. There is the cycle of excitement to despair to renewed vigour and drive followed by some state of compromise. In this recent Outrage & Optimism episode, Christiana Figueres outlines this cycle and the intricacies of multilateral negotiation and what good ends up looking and feeling like.

Post this COP29 aka the “climate finance COP”, I won’t dive into the full details of the final outcomes that were agreed, but suffice it to say, gender just about got mentioned, while the volume targets fell short not only of expectations but also what’s needed to meaningfully meet the needs of climate vulnerable developing countries.?From the very start, there have been strong headwinds against gender such as: no women originally on the organising committee to the annual family shot featuring a paltry 8 women out of 78 heads of state and a consistent stream of blockers towards gender into the final draft negotiating text.

But despair no- I won’t go there. I, like others, feel more emboldened that this is what makes our collective work even more important. It is irrefutable that gender is material and the climate crisis is not gender neutral. While the COP process is in urgent need of a restructuring and the global financial architecture needs an upgrade, there are so many of us at the frontlines- grassroots organisations, youth climate justice activists, entrepreneurs, fund managers, engineers, climate scientists, economists, philanthropists, investors and many more who keep holding the line and ensuring gender and broader inclusion do not get left behind as we work towards a just and equitable transition. For example, the Lima Work Programme was adopted, encouraging mainstreaming gender and providing a clear roadmap to develop a gender action plan (GAP) next year towards COP30.

I stand in solidarity with partners like Women's Environment & Development Organization SHE Changes Climate We Mean Business Coalition Women and Climate Project Dandelion The Club of Rome Green Climate Fund Climate Investment Funds Skoll Foundation WWF and so many others who are advancing women’s increased participation and ensuring gender responsive climate finance is unlocked with the scale and urgency needed.?My hope is grounded in all the incredible leaders and activists championing the cause for gender-responsive climate finance alongside. They show up each day, keep advancing the case, demonstrating the how and championing greater collective action.?

In these times where gender, equity, and justice are being trampled on daily, I am reminded by Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s quote “ To those accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression”. Status quo is sticky and hard to shift. As such, changing course at this stage of our human history will not only require grit and resilience but more importantly a fundamental shift in being- how we consume, invest, educate, learn, behave, and require a collective commitment towards building the equitable and safe future we all know is possible.?