Australian Chapter

Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA) brings its expertise as a leading community for women’s and gender-diverse leadership in Australia’s environmental and climate movements to convene and support a national network of leaders driving bold, inclusive, and effective responses to the climate crisis.

While aligned with WLOC’s global mission and objectives, the Australian Chapter operates independently, maintaining autonomy over its partnerships, activities, and communications to ensure that all initiatives reflect the perspectives, priorities, and context of our community in Australia.

This partnership provides an exciting platform to elevate Australian women’s leadership on the global stage, particularly in the lead-up to COP31, while simultaneously strengthening our collective impact at home.

WELA Website

Chapter Co-leads

Sharan Burrow

Global advocate for human rights, ESG and just transitions

Sharan Burrow is a global advocate for human rights, climate action and Just Transition. She is the Former General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (2010-2022. Previously she was President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (2000–2010.)

Victoria McKenzie-McHarg is one of Australia’s most respected and compelling voices on the critical intersection of climate action and gender equity. With nearly twenty years’ experience in climate campaigning and strategy, she has led efforts to make Australia’s response to the climate crisis more effective, inclusive, and just.

CEO at Women's Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA)

Victoria McKenzie-McHarg

The goals of the Australian Chapter are to:

  1. Build deeper relationships among executive, senior, and influential women and gender-diverse leaders across climate, environment and Just Transitions in Australia

  2. Increase recognition of the critical role of women and gender-diverse leadership in addressing Australia’s response to our climate and environmental crisis

  3. Create space for collaboration, shared strategy, and amplification of leadership

  4. Provide a platform to elevate diverse voices in the lead-up to global events such as COP31 and beyond

Our Goals