Now, more than ever, we stand united, calling on all leaders to step up. 


OUR STORY

From her very first days serving as Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna witnessed the impact that women were having on advancing climate ambition.

As one of the lead negotiators of the Paris Agreement, she saw firsthand women leading the charge to land an ambitious Agreement - from  Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to Laurence Tubiana, Head of the European Climate Foundation, to Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland.

In the wake of this climate success, Minister McKenna hosted the Women Kicking It on Climate Summit in 2018 to advance ambitious action on climate change through women’s leadership ahead of the G7 environment meeting Canada was hosting as part of Canada’s G7 Presidency. See the Chair’s Summary.

Catherine McKenna
CEO, Climate and Nature Solutions
Founder, WLOC

“Women are pushing for more ambitious climate action in negotiating rooms, in boardrooms, in our communities and in the streets. In this critical time for climate action, we need to raise our voices even more. We've seen the power of women. When we come together: We go further, faster.”

In 2021, Women Leading on Climate (WLOC) launched at COP 26 in Scotland as an initiative under Climate and Nature Solutions with the goal of supporting women and girls globally who are leading the climate revolution. WLOC has grown its global coalition of women leaders, spanning government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious climate action through quiet diplomacy, collaborative dialogues, and elevating the collective voices of women leading the fight for a sustainable and just future.

In 2024, in the wake of an initially all-male COP Organizing Committee, it became clear that women remain significantly under-represented in all sectors engaged in climate action. With a shared priority to ensure women’s representation at COP 29 and to elevate women's voices in climate, Women Leading on Climate partnered with the We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC) to expand its global reach. Under the leadership of Catherine McKenna and Maria Mendiluce of WMBC, WLOC has hosted strategic dialogues, high-impact events at COP and Climate Weeks, and viral social media campaigns amplifying the voices of women and girls globally. 

Maria Mendiluce
CEO, We Mean Business Coalition
Co-founder, Women Leading on Climate

“Women leaders are asking governments for more climate ambition, concrete action plans with milestones and much more coherence in the way they implement them. Women together can make the change happen that is required to limit global warming and keep 1.5 within sight.”