Women climate leaders, activists and Indigenous advocates gathered virtually to demand urgent climate action ahead of COP30. Highlighting systemic injustice, fossil fuel expansion and weak commitments, they called for structural economic change, stronger NDCs and a justice-centered approach rooted in hope, empowerment and community resilience.
As the world grapples with escalating climate impacts and persistent political inaction, leading women climate negotiators and global advocates convened at the Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: Path to COP30 and Beyond—a virtual summit hosted by the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).
The event opened with a high-profile panel titled “Global Voices for Climate Justice in a Time of Uncertainty”, which featured a powerhouse lineup of climate leaders including Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; Rachel Kyte, UK climate envoy; Christiana Figueres, former UNFCCC Executive Secretary; and Fleur Newman from the UN Climate Change Secretariat.
The discussion centered on the urgent need for climate justice, the contradictions of current fossil fuel investments, and the unique opportunity presented by COP30, to be held in Belém, Brazil—at the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
“What is required is a whole system change,” said Susana Muhamad, Colombia’s former environment minister. “It means going into the heart of the economic system and power structure.”
Muhamad stressed the contradiction of pushing fossil fuel production in one of the world’s most vital ecosystems. She called for COP30 to be a moment of reckoning for aligning climate action with nature, Indigenous rights, and justice.
Mary Robinson, co-founder of Project Dandelion, highlighted the significance of women’s leadership. “Hope is action, and that’s what we are about,” she said. “We must center climate justice to solve both the climate and nature crises.”
Rachel Kyte acknowledged progress in the renewable energy transition, but warned that fossil fuel investments are still rising. “We are not moving fast enough, for enough of us,” she said. “We must double down on what is working.”
Alice de Moraes Amorim Vogas, part of Brazil’s COP30 Presidency Team, issued a warning: “We are in June, the NDC deadline has passed, and few countries have submitted updated commitments. We must act fast and boldly.”
UNFCCC’s Fleur Newman reminded participants that climate change is fundamentally a social and economic issue. “We need to change the minds of decision makers—or change the decision makers,” she said, advocating for public empowerment.
Indigenous leader Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, from Chad, emphasized the importance of Indigenous and community-led climate action. “It’s not any government or politician who can stop us. We must go to Brazil and demand ambition and justice,” she said.
Closing the session, Christiana Figueres, who led the negotiations for the landmark Paris Agreement, urged participants to see light in moments of despair. “We can face defeats, but we cannot be defeated.”
The assembly set a resolute tone ahead of COP30, calling on governments to raise climate ambition, strengthen NDCs, protect frontline communities, and move toward an economic system rooted in justice and sustainability.
As the countdown to COP30 begins, these powerful voices serve as a reminder: the path to climate justice is led by those willing to reimagine the future—and act boldly to shape it.
