At WELA, we focus on building an evidence-base on the impacts of climate and environmental crises on Australian women and gender-diverse people. We also explore the opportunities in women and gender-diverse led solutions, highlighting how systems-wide change can create the conditions for women to lead responses to climate and environmental challenges.
Our research:
In May 2026, WELA hosted a roundtable bringing together advocates, academics and policy makers from across Australia and the globe to discuss how we can shape an energy transition that leaves no one behind.
We left with powerful reflections from the group on the importance of First Nations matriarchal knowledge and leadership, care as critical social infrastructure and opportunities to advocate in the lead up to and beyond COP31.
This report captures the key reflections, case studies, and policy recommendations from that convening. It offers a concrete roadmap for turning global climate commitments into fair, funded, and care-centred action for local communities.
Women and gender diverse people are acutely vulnerable to climate and environmental issues – but they also offer distinctive and effective approaches to solving these challenges.
There has been only limited public discussion of the gendered nature of climate and environmental challenges within the Australian domestic context – and such awareness has only permeated policy and investment in a piecemeal way.
This report addresses this gap, assessing research data and expert stakeholder perspectives from across Australia. The report summarises what we know about the gendered impacts of climate and environmental issues and explains why gender diverse leadership is critical to solving these challenges, before ending with a series of key recommendations focused upon: leadership and decision-making; policy-making; finance and investment; the gendered nature of disasters; international commitments; diverse voices and sectors; and a clean and caring economy.
As Australia prepares to take on a major leadership role in global climate negotiations at COP31, we are proud to share this collaborative paper on good practice for civil society inclusion in multilateral spaces.
Inclusive, transparent and meaningful engagement with civil society matters especially for women’s rights organisations, Indigenous communities, Pacific voices, LGBTQIA+ communities and frontline climate advocates.
This paper outlines practical principles for participation, including: