WELA CEO Victoria McKenzie-McHarg and Sharan Burrow AC (co-convenors of Women Leading on Climate Australian Chapter) joined by women and gender-diverse climate leaders from across Australia and the Pacific at COP30 in Belém, Brazil
After months of uncertainty, a decision has finally been made: In November 2026 Türkiye will host and serve as President of COP31, and Australia will serve as President of Negotiations.
This outcome has been deeply disappointing for many in our region who were hoping that the world’s biggest climate summit would be held on our shores. First Nations and Pacific leaders — who strongly advocated for a Pacific COP — have expressed frustration at the deal Australia secured. Australia’s influence will now sit in shaping early negotiations and advancing critical areas such as just transitions, fossil fuel phase-out, and climate finance.
Amid this, an important positive has emerged: the Pre-COP event will be hosted in the Pacific. This is a significant moment for Pacific leadership — one that community leaders fought hard for. It is an opportunity for Australia to show up with integrity, listen deeply, and align its contributions with Pacific priorities.
While the outcome for COP31 is far from ideal, this moment brings both opportunity and responsibility.
As President of Negotiations, Australia must now demonstrate the leadership that Pacific nations, First Nations communities, women, and gender-diverse climate leaders have long called for. These leaders are at the forefront of climate action and nature protection, advocating for and driving solutions that tackle the root causes of climate change, environmental destruction and gender inequality. They are also hit first and worst by the devastating physical, social, and economic impacts of climate change.
This moment is a reminder that leadership has never come from governments alone. It has always come from communities — from women, gender-diverse leaders, First Nations peoples and Pacific advocates who drive solutions, shift narratives and refuse to wait for permission.
Gender and climate are now firmly on the national agenda, and this intersectional lens must continue to shape policy and practice. Promising steps at COP30 — including renewed civil society presence, strengthened Indigenous leadership, and a new Gender Action Plan—must translate into real action.
Next year, Australia will also host Women Deliver 2026, the world’s largest gender equality conference — co-designed with Pacific feminist leaders. It’s a powerful opportunity to advance climate justice, gender equality, and community-led leadership across our region.
What we bring to the table matters more than ever. This is our moment to show the world what true leadership looks like: acting boldly at home, uplifting voices long excluded, and building solutions that protect our communities and future generations.